Army Arrests Arab Democratic Party Member in Akkar, 5 Suspects in Bhannine

A member of the Arab Democratic Party was arrested by the army on Tuesday as he was trying to cross from the northern district of Akkar into neighboring Syria, state-run National News Agency reported.

“The army arrested at one of its checkpoints in Akkar a man identified as A. Kh. as he was trying to cross into Syria,” NNA said.

It noted that he is “one of the ADP cadres in Jabal Mohsen who had left the neighborhood as the security plan got underway in the city of Tripoli.”

Separately, the army announced arresting four Lebanese citizens and a Syrian national in the northern town of Bhannine on suspicion of “involvement in armed attacks against army troops.”

It identified them as Ibrahim Mohammed Malas, Khodr Saeed Malas, Alaa Khalededdine, Mohammed Khaled Shaker and the Syrian Mheidi Saleh al-Hmeid.

The Tripoli security plan had kicked off on April 1 with the aim of putting an end to several rounds of deadly sectarian clashes between gunmen from Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh.

ADP leader Ali Eid and his son Rifaat managed to flee to Syria although dozens of fugitives from both districts were arrested.

Tuesday's arrests come amid heightened security measures by the army, which fought deadly clashes with Islamist gunmen last month in Tripoli and the nearby regions of Dinniyeh, Bhannine and al-Mhammara.

Y.R.