Mansourieh and Ain Saade residents on Thursday woke up to see a large number of security forces deployed in the vicinity of the Saint Theresa Church, blocking all roads leading to it and preventing people from attending the morning mass, the National News Agency reported.

As residents continue to protest the forcible installation of high-voltage power lines for the third day in a row, police members entered a land belonging to the church and resorted once again to the excessive use of force.

A footage showed pastor of the Saint John Church in Dayshouniye, Father Salim Khoury, lying on the ground to prevent security forces from entering the church premises.

القوى الأمنية تقتحم باحة الكنيسة في #المنصورية بعد الاعتداء على الكاهن#توتر_الحكومة pic.twitter.com/r1ElwTYRm3

— kataeb.org Arabic (@kataeb_Ar) May 9, 2019