‘Terrorist cell' uncovered in Beirut was plotting attacks on major religious gathering
Lebanon's General Security Directorate said on Monday it had arrested a terrorist cell in Beirut that sought to carry out attacks in sensitive areas in the Lebanese capital.
It said the cell was linked to extremist organisations and planned to launch synchronised attacks. The members had been monitored for several weeks.
'They were planning to attack large gatherings of Shiites during Ashoura this weekend,' one of the security sources said.
'This is terrifying. Lebanon is highly exposed in terms of security and entering a dangerous phase,' the security official added.
For Shiite Muslims, Ashura marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein bin Ali, the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, in 680AD, along with his family members and loyalists.
Lebanon, a multi-faith country, has previously experienced attacks during religious events by extremist groups and armed militias.
On Monday, before the arrests, a security official in Beirut told The National that Lebanon feared possible attacks by extremist groups following the deadly church bombing in neighbouring Syria.
The Lebanese army announced last week the arrest of the suspected leader of ISIS in Lebanon, accusing him of planning attacks.
The man, identified as RF and also known by the alias Qasoura, was captured after a series of surveillance and intelligence efforts by the military's Intelligence Directorate.
Threat far from over
Weapons, ammunition and drone-making equipment were seized during the raid, the army said.
'He was educated, a school teacher of chemistry with experience in telecommunications and surveillance,' a security source told The National on Sunday.
The army described him as a "prominent leader of the terrorist organisation Daesh" and said he had assumed control of the group's Lebanon branch following the arrests of several senior figures in December, including his predecessor, known as Abu Saeed Al Shami.
Authorities fear that dormant ISIS and other extremist cells in Lebanon could now be activated in retaliation or as part of a wider plan to destabilise the country.
The concerns come amid renewed instability in neighbouring Syria, where a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people at a Damascus church earlier this month. Syrian authorities blamed ISIS for the attack.
Although largely driven underground after a major military defeat in 2017, ISIS and other extremist groups have fought bloody battles with the Lebanese army in the past and carried out bombings against Hezbollah and its supporters.
Now, with Syria's political landscape shifting after the collapse of President Bashar Al Assad's regime last year, Lebanese officials warn that the threat is far from over.
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