Lebanese woman holds up bank to withdraw money

BEIRUT, Lebanon

An armed woman broke into a bank in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Wednesday demanding access to her savings to treat her sick sister.

A woman carrying a gun entered BLOM bank and threatened to set herself on fire to withdraw her own money, eyewitnesses said.

The government-run National News Agency said the woman, identified as Sally Hafez, managed to withdraw $20,000 from her account.

The woman was reportedly arrested by security forces following the incident.

But the woman said in a video posted on social media that she had withdrawn $13,000 in cash dollars.

Meanwhile, the Association of Lebanese Depositors, an advocacy group, accused security forces of assaulting depositors who gathered at the bank.

Last month, a Lebanese depositor held hostages inside a bank in Beirut to demand withdrawal from his account to pay for his father's hospital treatment. He also successfully negotiated the withdrawal of $35,000 from his own account.

Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic crisis since 2019, leaving most people locked out of their bank accounts.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat and Ahmed Asmar