Lebanon’s general prosecutor Abdallah al-Bitar points to bloodstains during his visit yesterday to the spot where two political activists were shot dead in Zahle

ZAHLE, Lebanon -The Lebanese town of Zahle observed an official day of mourning amid tension yesterday, with political leaders trading blame after two activists were shot dead at the opening of a Phalange party headquarters.

Funerals for Nasri al-Maruni and Salim Assi, whose son was among three people wounded in the Sunday evening attack, are planned for today.

Both Assi and al-Maruni were supporters of the Christian Phalange party, a member of Lebanon’s ruling coalition.

Police named a suspect in the shooting as Joseph Zouki and said they had launched a manhunt for him. He is thought to be a supporter of Zahle MP Elie Skaff, a Christian who backs the opposition.

Security sources in Zahle said that they were also looking for Zouki’s brother, Toni, who they suspect was with him at the time of the shooting.

A security official yesterday said Walid Zouki, a relative of Joseph, had turned himself in to the police. Although he was not an initial suspect “he seems to have had a role” in the crime, the official said.

Phalange leader and former president Amin Gemeyel called the incident a “premeditated act” in an interview on the LBC television channel.

He accused the assailants’ “leaders of knowing full well where they are and what they need to do to turn them in to the authorities”.

Gemeyel held “the leaders of the opposition responsible” for the act and accused “Christian leaders of covering up an obvious terrible plot to spark divisions and ignite a war”, alluding to what his coalition identifies as a Syrian plot to destabilise Lebanon.

The former president’s son Sami Gemeyel had just left the headquarters inauguration at the time of the shooting. Another son, industry minister Pierre Gemayel, was assassinated in November 2006.

Skaff rejected Gemeyel’s accusations and said this was an “isolated act” and that he would “not provide protection for the assailants.”

He accused the Phalangists of “threatening Zouki and shooting at him. He took a bullet to the hand and his car has bullet marks on it.”

“His brother Toni came like a madman to his rescue. This was a question of self-defence where it was kill or be killed,” he added.

Intense security measures have been taken in the eastern town with all cars being searched at checkpoints in the search of Zouki and his brother, a security official said.

“The security services have conducted several operations and raids where the person responsible for the attack could have taken refuge,” the security official said.

Lebanon’s general prosecutor Abdallah al-Bitar has arrived in Zahle to conduct an investigation. -AFP