An elderly man was arrested Monday in Lebanon after a grenade he had placed in a shop in Bourj Hammoud exploded, police said.
A statement issued by the Internal Security Forces was quoted by the Daily Star as saying that Artine Kitsoyan, 89, who was treated for facial wounds suffered as the grenade exploded, was taken into custody for the crime.
It said the target of the attack was 80-year-old Ibrahim Ghazarian, whose brother owed Kitsoyan $5,000.
Both Kitsoyan and Ghazarian denied any links to the explosion, said the daily.
But Kitsoyan’s wife, whose identity was not disclosed, insisted on accompanying her husband to meet with investigators.
The wife repeatedly told investigators that the string attached to the grenade pin that was used to detonate the explosive device belonged to her, as her husband attempted to silence her, asking her in Armenian, “What are you talking about?”
According to the paper, the statement said that when the wife realized that what she was saying was pertinent to the investigation, she retracted her remarks, but not before prompting investigators to search the couple’s home, where they found two strings identical to that used in the blast – Albawaba.com
