25 Spy Cells, 6 Networks belonging to Al-Qaeda Uncovered

Source: almanar.com.lb. 5-6-2009

Day after another, the Lebanese Army and security forces continue to make achievements, arresting spying networks spread throughout the country...

On Friday, Lebanese daily An-Nahar quoted high-level military sources as revealing that the Lebanese army has uncovered 25 cells spying for the "Israeli" Mossad and arrested since early 2009 six networks belonging to al-Qaeda group.

The sources noted that the army arrested in the past few days a three-member network which is seen as playing a very important role in intelligence gathering and cooperating with the "Israeli" enemy. The spy ring could be the most dangerous of all networks given its use of highly developed security techniques, the sources pointed out.

Furthermore, the army intelligence reportedly arrested H.S.F. from the southern town of Ain Qana on suspicion of spying for "Israel". The man's arrest came after another spy was seized from the same town at dawn Thursday.

According to An-Nahar, the army has been lately focusing on "fighting terrorism in its extremist and "Israeli" aspects" away from media spotlight. Intelligence gathering for months led to the arrest of the spies.

"The army was able up to this date to uncover 25 cells spying for "Israel" and was able since early this year to arrest six very important extremist networks belonging to al-Qaida," the sources asserted.

The daily quoted the same sources as saying that investigation with members of the "Israeli" Mossad-linked cells represents a real challenge because the alleged spies are trained to face investigation and the rings are not connected. Another difficulty is that each person is himself a cell and more effort is required to receive information from him during questioning.