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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Saadnayel

Saadnayel (Arabic: سعدنايل) is a town in the Bekaa Valley in the Zahlé District of Lebanon. It has a population of around 20,000 Lebanese mostly Sunnis.

Saadnayel lies 47 kilometres (29 mi) away from Beirut. The town is located strategically near the crossroads between the Beirut-Damascus highway and the main road connecting the northern and southern Beqaa.

History

In 1838, Eli Smith noted Saadnayel's population being Sunni Muslim.

The town has been the site of sporadic Sunni-Shia violence. In 2008, four individuals were wounded in armed clashes between anti-Syrian majority supporters and Hezbollah-led opposition in Lebanon, which included machine guns, mortars, and rockets, erupted in Saadnayel. Despite the army's presence, they did not intervene.

Up to 35,000 refugees of the Syrian Civil War have also settled in the town.