In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry said it has not been informed of the damages from Ogero, the company in charge of maintenance works on the network, and that it had only been notified of the incidents at 10:00 pm in the evening, from recurring inquires and phone calls from citizens.

Therefore, the Ministry said it holds Ogero and the General Directorate of Investment and Maintenance completely responsible, “separately or jointly,” for this “communication failure.”

The Ministry said it had instructed Ogero employees and its technicians to convert the Beirut-South connection from the wired to the non-wired network, to insure delivery of the service at the meantime. Employees would be working at night shifts to re-link the damaged wires, the statement said.

According to the same statement, the Ministry would be embarking on all appropriate and necessary measures to fight any breach potentially threatening the continuity of this public utility and intimidating the national security. The Ministry said it would not take into account any claims that do not pertain to people’s interests and needs.