As the Abdullah Azzam Brigades has threatened to carry out more terrorist attacks, and with the ongoing targeting of the Lebanese army, investigations with members of terrorist cells who were apprehended over the past two weeks are bringing important revelations to light, most recently, the fact that the Interior Ministry tops the list of these cells’ targets.
From Roumieh to Tripoli, the entire country is living in a state of apprehension regarding the possibility of further bombings and terrorist attacks.
In Roumieh, the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) has stepped up its security measures in anticipation of a suicide bombing, possibly meant to pave the way for Islamist detainees and convicts to escape from the central prison.
In Tripoli, a roadside bomb has targeted an army patrol, but no casualties were reported.
Security sources told Al-Akhbar that the authorities received additional tips regarding a possible attack using a truck bomb against the prison entrance, to break out prisoners affiliated to al-Nusra Front. As a precaution, roads leading to the prison have now been closed off to civilian traffic.
On Tuesday, the Directorate General of the ISF made the following announcement: “For security reasons, the Directorate will enforce exceptional traffic measures temporarily in the vicinity of the Roumieh central prison and the roads leading to it, from seven in the evening [Tuesday].” The measures include barring all vehicles (e.g. trucks, tankers, vans, automobiles, and motorcycles) from travelling up and down the road toward the Roumieh prison, and diverting traffic into the Metn Highway and other secondary roads. Security sources said these measures are necessary precautions, but added that they believe the terrorist groups are unlikely to have the capability to carry out such plans and break out prisoners.
Regarding the explosion in Tripoli, the Army Command announced that while an army patrol was passing in the Bab al-Raml district of Tripoli at dawn on Tuesday, an 800-gram explosive device was detonated in its proximity. The device was planted on the side of the road in a metallic box laden with ball bearings, but no fatalities were reported. The army imposed a security cordon around the scene of the blast, as the military police began its investigations.
There were conflicting assessments regarding the identity of the perpetrators. Some security officials said the incident is likely to be part of the “general atmosphere” in the country, and the continuation of the same wave that began in Dahr al-Baidar, Hamra, Raouche, and Tayouneh. However, other security officials believe the bomb had a “Tripoli-related context,” saying the perpetrators were likely to be among those affected by the security plan that was implemented in Tripoli in the past few months.
Targeting prisons
On the other hand, new revelations have come to light during the investigations with recently detained terror suspects, including two would-be suicide bombers. Security sources toldAl-Akhbar that interrogations have revealed that the Ministry of Interior is among the targets the terrorists plan to attack, in addition to the headquarters of Directorate General of General Security and the Directorate General of Internal Security, as well as army posts and al-Saha restaurant.
However, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Machnouk is still skeptical about these revelations, and has said that preliminary statements are not reliable, and that they should be crosschecked against other information and evidence before arriving at definitive conclusions.
The Central Security Council at the Ministry of Interior held its regular meeting also on Tuesday, chaired by Machnouk and attended by all council members, to discuss the details of the security plan and ongoing efforts to intercept terrorist cells. Machnouk then received a delegation of Lebanese bankers led by Dr. Francois Bassil, who gave him a check for a contribution on behalf of his group to support prisons.
In the meantime, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades threatened to carry out more terror attacks. Siraj al-Din Zureiqat, a spokesman for the Brigades, demanded Hezbollah to leave Syria quickly “before it is too late,” adding, “If terrorism is the response to Hezbollah’s crimes, then wait for more terrorism that will make you forget all previous episodes, until security returns to our people and our children in Syria.” Zureiqat continued, “The nation has learned the truth about Hezbollah, which protects Israel’s borders and detains those who fire rockets [on Israel].” “[Former Hezbollah secretary general] Subhi al-Tufaili is still alive, so ask him about your resistance against Israel,” he concluded.
On the other hand, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Samir Mokbel met with the Commander of the Armed Forces Jean Kahwaji to discuss the security situation, and was briefed on the measures and actions taken in all Lebanese regions to maintain security and intercept the terror groups.
Mokbel also met with the heads of the chambers of the military tribunal, who briefed him on the latter’s proceedings in light of the tense climate and the increasing number of detainees referred to the tribunal, following arrests by the army and the security services in all Lebanese regions. The defense minister was also briefed on the conditions and conduct of detainees in Roumieh and the progress of their trials.
In the northern Bekaa, the army boosted its security measures as well, especially at its checkpoints. In the past three days, the army arrested 20 Syrians who had entered the country illegally using forged or mismatching documents. The army also apprehended a gang of three Lebanese nationals involved in counterfeiting money and drug dealing, and intercepted a suspicious vehicle that was later handed over to the relevant security agencies.
(Al-Akhbar)
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
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