Lebanon’s Arsal Attack: 40 Suspects Have Militant Ties

Local Editor

Forty suspects arrested following the attacks in Arsal have Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ties, according to a senior Lebanese security source.

"It transpires that out of the 355 [persons who were detained], there are 40 who are directly connected to Daesh and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham," the military source said. The rest of the detainees had been released, he said.

The 40 detainees with militant links will be interrogated and referred to the judiciary, the source said.

The news came as Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said Tuesday that investigations into individuals detained last week in the aftermath of the attacks would be brief and the detainees' fates will soon become clear.

Speaking to al-Arabiya al-Hadath TV channel, Machnouk said that no Syrian refugee would be repatriated without international guarantees.

"The Arsal investigations will not take long," the interior minister said in an interview with the channel. He added: "There is no target against Syrian refugees."

Early on Friday, five suicide bombings, an explosive device and a grenade attack were launched against the Lebanese Army in Arsal, leaving seven soldiers wounded and one Syrian child dead.

In the aftermath of the attacks, which took place at the Nawar and Qareiah camps in the town, hundreds of Syrian refugees were detained. Those found not to be connected to the events were swiftly released.

The Army's detention of 355 Syrian refugees after the attacks had been decried by Syrian opposition groups as well as by local leaders.

Machnouk brushed off this criticism, telling critics that they were not qualified to judge the operation from afar.

"What happened in Arsal was a military operation. When five suicide bombers detonate themselves, dealing with it becomes a purely security-related matter," Machnouk said. He added that he was keen to maintain the dignity and the safety of Syrian refugees in the area.

"The Arsal operation was not a campaign against Syrian refugees - it targeted terrorists."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team