Ainab
Encyclopedia
Ainab is a town on the western slopes of Mount Lebanon
overlooking Beirut
. It is in the Aley District
of the Mount Lebanon Governorate
25 kilometres (16 mi) from Beirut
, on the road South from Aley
.
Ainab was the site of numerous conflicts before and during the Lebanese civil war
. In the 1958 Lebanon crisis control of the town was fought over by the Druze forces of Kamal Jumblatt
and the Lebanese Government. During the Israeli invasion (1982 Lebanon War
), the Israeli army intervened in and near Ainab in fighting between the Druze Progressive Socialist Party
and the Christian Kataeb Party
. In March 1989, a schoolyard in the town was hit by an Israeli air-to-surface missile
during strikes against a base of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(DFLP) in Shemlan
. Press reports state that 3 people were killed 22 schoolchildren wounded, or that two DFLP fighters were killed, and a civilian and 23 of 75 primary age schoolchildren wounded by shrapnel. Later that year Israeli jets again attacked in apparent retaliation for rocket attacks on Northern Israel.
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
overlooking Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. It is in the Aley District
Aley District
Aley is a district in Mount Lebanon, Lebanon, to the south-east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital is Aley. Aley city was previously known as the "bride of the summers" during the 1960 and 70s, when Aley and neighboring Bhamdune were attractive tourist locations for Gulf tourists and...
of the Mount Lebanon Governorate
Mount Lebanon Governorate
Mount Lebanon is one of the Governorates of Lebanon. Its capital is Baabda. The overwhelming majority of its population is Maronites, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic Christians...
25 kilometres (16 mi) from Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, on the road South from Aley
Aley
Aley is a picturesque town in Mount Lebanon. It is located 17 km uphill from Beirut, just south of the summer resort of Bhamdoun and north of the strategic town of Souk El Gharb.-Demographics:...
.
History
The municipal council was established in 1910 and is one of the earliest councils in the Aley district.Ainab was the site of numerous conflicts before and during the Lebanese civil war
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
. In the 1958 Lebanon crisis control of the town was fought over by the Druze forces of Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt
Kamal Jumblatt ; was an important Lebanese politician. He was the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War until his assassination in 1977. He is the father of the present Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.-Family background and education:Kamal Jumblatt was born in...
and the Lebanese Government. During the Israeli invasion (1982 Lebanon War
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
), the Israeli army intervened in and near Ainab in fighting between the Druze Progressive Socialist Party
Progressive Socialist Party
The Progressive Socialist Party or PSP , also known as Parti Socialiste Progressiste in French, is a political party in Lebanon. Its current leader is Walid Jumblatt...
and the Christian Kataeb Party
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
. In March 1989, a schoolyard in the town was hit by an Israeli air-to-surface missile
Air-to-surface missile
An air-to-surface missile is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft and strike ground targets on land, at sea, or both...
during strikes against a base of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist, secular political and military organization. It is also frequently referred to as the Democratic Front, or al-Jabha al-Dimuqratiyah...
(DFLP) in Shemlan
Shemlan
Shemlan is a village in the Aley District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate in Lebanon, located about 25 km from Beirut.- History :...
. Press reports state that 3 people were killed 22 schoolchildren wounded, or that two DFLP fighters were killed, and a civilian and 23 of 75 primary age schoolchildren wounded by shrapnel. Later that year Israeli jets again attacked in apparent retaliation for rocket attacks on Northern Israel.