🔗 Share this article Singer Turned Radical Fighter Fadel Shaker Gives Himself Up to Lebanese Military After a Dozen Years on the Run One ex- celebrity singer who turned into a wanted radical Islamist fighter has turned himself in to Lebanese military intelligence after spending over a decade evading authorities. Background of the Situation The singer had been a fugitive since bloody street clashes erupted in the summer of 2013 in the coastal city of Sidon, involving Sunni Muslim militants against the Lebanese army. He faced trial in absentia and given to over two decades in prison in the year 2020 for offering assistance to a militant organization. The Surrender Process On Saturday night, a army intelligence unit arrived at one of the entrances of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the city and apprehended the fugitive into custody. Authoritative sources stated that Shaker had been taking refuge inside the camp for more than 12 years. The handover took place following arrangements between mediators and officials at the Lebanese defence ministry. Judicial Consequences Authorities indicated that since the defendant is in custody by Lebanese authorities, the verdicts that he was given during his fugitive status will be voided. Investigators will interrogate him in readiness to stand trial on fresh allegations of committing offenses targeting army personnel. Shaker's Previous Denials Throughout his time in hiding, the former pop star had rejected claims of having any involvement in the 2013 confrontations and stated he did not support violence. 2013 Confrontation That year's armed clash, which involved supporters of radical religious leader Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir against the national military, caused the loss of at least 18 soldiers and intensified communal strife in the country between Sunni and Shia Muslims. In a video posted to the video platform on the following day of the street fighting in Sidon, a unshaven the singer called his opponents as pigs and dogs and taunted the army. Professional Evolution Shaker became a celebrity singer across the Arab world in the early 2000s with a chart-topping song. Roughly a decade after, he came under the sway of Assir and shocked fans by appearing next to the hardline cleric at public gatherings. Later, he announced that he was abandoning singing to become closer to the divine. Latest Updates This past summer, the former singer, together with his son, put out a fresh track that went viral throughout the Middle East and gathered over 113M watches on the video platform. Wider Implications Shaker's handover coincides with the national military initiated the procedure of collecting weapons from the nation's dozen Palestinian settlements that have traditionally been off limits to authorities.