Report: Bank Robbery Cell was Plotting to Kill Judges Hammoud and Khoury

A several member network arrested by the Lebanese army last month was plotting to assassinate Judges Abdul Rahim Hammoud and Henri Khoury, As Safir daily reported on Thursday.

The newspaper said the members of the cell led by Mohammed al-Jouni, who was seized by armed forces following a string of bank robberies in the country, have admitted to preparing explosives to target the two judges.

A third explosive was aimed at targeting the military intelligence, As Safir said.

Al-Jouni was arrested along with Mohammed Ayyoub for a spree of armed bank robberies that netted more than $1.5 million, the military said last month.

During the robbery of BLOM’s Elissar branch on Aug. 9, al-Jouni opened fire on an Army Captain from al-Jurdi family, severely injuring him, and stole his gun.

Five suspects have been arrested since July and one remains at large.

Sources have said that the network has ties to al-Rmeileh terrorist cell whose members were arrested with a large cache of weapons.

In July, the army raided the residences of the Rmeileh suspects and seized 1,211 detonators, several electric-detonators, Israeli-made devices used to ignite mines, Russian and American-made anti-personnel mines, Israeli-made mortar shells, 21 hand grenades, weapons and other equipment.