Army Apprehends Terrorist Cell Planning to Assassinate Prominent Security Official

The army intelligence detained the members of a terrorist network, who are suspected of planning to assassinate a high-ranking security official in the North, the military said in a communique issued on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the army intelligence apprehended a terrorist cell in the Lebanese Qalamoun region.

The network was seeking to assassinate a prominent security official in the North.

The detainees were identified as: Wassim Ahmed al-Qass, Wissam Ahmed al-Qass, Dani Ahmed al-Qass, Amjad Nouhad al-Khatib and Nabil Kamel Bayda.

“The army intelligence will continue to pursue suspects to arrest the remaining members of the cell and reveal their connections and schemes,” the statement said.

Security forces began recently enforcing strict measures and carrying out raids in several areas after obtaining information on a plot to target hospitals and high-ranking security officials.

On early Tuesday a suicide blast in Beirut's southern suburbs, Hizbullah's main bastion, killed a security officer and wounded 20 others.

No one has claimed the attack, but an audio recording posted on YouTube by Abdullah Azzam Brigades said there would be more "strikes" if Hizbullah does not pull out of Syria.

The bombing in Tayyouneh came three days after a suicide attack in eastern Lebanon that killed one person and wounded 30.

The Abdullah Azzam brigades is an al-Qaida-linked group that has previously claimed responsibility for other Syria-related violence in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, media reports said that the Anti-Terror Bureau apprehended overnight Wednesday Abdullah and Ahmed Salah Eddine, Wiam al-Mustapha, Mohammed Khaled Salah Eddine, Bilal al-Mustapha and Abdul Rahman al-Sayyed in Tripoli's al-Zahiriyeh area.

Ahmed al-Mustapha meanwhile managed to escape.

The six men hail from the northern town of Fneideq and are charged with opening fire after the arrest of a man from the Zahraman family.

They are also charged with carrying out other security violations.

H.K.

M.T.