Beirut-Lebanon witnessed a series of suicide bombings on Monday, starting by four blasts in the morning, which caused the death and injury of many citizens.

Four suicide bombers blew themselves up early Monday in the village of al-Qaa in the Bekaa Valley, killing five people and wounding another 15, including four Lebanese soldiers, paramedics said.

In the evening, as family members gathered outside a church to mourn the victims, two men on a motorcycle tossed a grenade at the group before detonating suicide vests, wounding another 13 people.

The Lebanese Army Command stated that “one suicide attacker blew himself up in front of one of the homes, while three other attackers followed, detonating their suicide vests one after the other as people gathered in the area.”

Georges Kettaneh, general secretary of the Lebanese Red Cross, confirmed the death toll and said 15 victims were rushed to hospitals in nearby areas. He added that several others were treated on the spot.

The explosions occurred about 150 meters away from a Lebanese customs border point, according to eyewitnesses.

Security sources revealed that the Lebanese border village of Qaa was not the target of the suicide bombers, but the terrorists were hiding in the village waiting for transportation to another location, yet the residents discovered them before they were able to escape.

For his part, Future Movement Chief and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said that the attack that targeted Qaa is “a terrorist crime, organized in the caves of obscurity, and an episode in a hellish series that plans to extend the Syrian fire to the neighboring countries, and spread chaos in all societies.”

“It’s a further proof of necessity to mobilize all efforts to face challenges that threaten Lebanon,” Hariri said in a statement.

He added that Lebanon “cannot endure the repercussions of the ongoing war in Syria and that any plan to combat terrorism should begin from the inside and through legitimate institutions, at the forefront the Lebanese Army.”

The U.S. Embassy said in several tweets that the country “stands with Lebanon,” expressing support for the Lebanese Army and other security agencies in “the joint fight against terrorism.”

It also offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Moreover, the British Embassy released a statement reiterating its determination as ever to back stability in Lebanon and commitment to assist the Lebanese security agencies in enhancing security throughout the country.