Administrative employees working for the state water company’s branch in Mount Lebanon’s Kesrouan, held a strike Wednesday in solidarity with engineer Joseph Naseer, who was physically assaulted while on duty in Ashrafieh, Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported. The company’s staff denounced the beating of Naseer, one of the company’s managers, during their brief work stoppage, which ended at 1:00 pm, the NNA said. Partial blackouts were experienced earlier this week in Beirut’s Ashrafieh and Hamra neighborhoods, leading also to water cuts. Naseer, on duty in Ashrafieh to inspect the problem, was attacked by unknown assailants. From: The Daily Star