Today, Thursday, a gunman detained bank employees in the crowded Hamra area in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, demanding his deposit in order to treat his father, according to two security sources.
The security forces impose a tight cordon outside the Federal Bank, and are trying to negotiate with the angry gunman in order to open the bank's door and release the employees who have been detained for about 3 hours.
A security source (who requested anonymity) said that "the gunman managed to enter the bank with a gun and flammable materials, and threatened the employees if he did not get his money."
According to a field security source, "the man (who is in his forties) poured gasoline throughout the bank, and closed its entrance, holding the employees inside."
According to the source, the gunman is demanding his deposit, which is worth more than $200,000.
The official National News Agency stated that the hostage-taker "threatened to set himself on fire and kill those in the branch, and pointed his weapon in the face of the branch manager."
She said that he justified his entry to the bank in this way because his father "entered the hospital some time ago to undergo an operation without being able to pay for it."
In a video circulated on social media, two people are seen negotiating from behind the iron bank door with the gunman, who is called Bassam.
Later, local media reported the release of a depositor who had a health condition, while dozens of citizens and employees' families gathered outside the bank.