Lebanon arrests another “Israeli” spy

The Lebanese security forces have detained a suspected spy in the southern town of Tebnine, the latest in a string of arrests which uncovered an "Israeli" spying network in Lebanon.

The Internal Security Forces (ISF) arrested a teacher over suspicions of transferring sensitive intelligence to "Israeli" agents, the Lebanese media reported on Thursday.

The ISF intelligence department had put the man under close surveillance for several months before arresting him on Wednesday afternoon.

Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted sources at the ISF directorate as saying that the 54-year-old man admitted to spying for "Israel".

The man, identified as A. Berri, said that the "Israelis" asked him to stop his spying activities last April following the discovery of several cells working for the "Israeli" intelligence in Lebanon, the daily reported.

Earlier this month, military judges in Lebanon issued death sentence to four people found guilty of collaborating with "Israel"and conspiring with Tel Aviv.

The four were found guilty of "knowingly conspiring with "Israel", allowing it to launch an attack against Lebanon and to make contacts with its agents in Lebanon."

Two of the defendants were tried in absentia because they had reportedly fled to "Israel". The other two were a staff sergeant in the Lebanese internal security services and his wife.

Beirut launched a joint counter-espionage campaign with Hizbullah this year in a bid to eradicate the "Israeli" spying cells operating in Lebanon.

Nearly 150 "Israeli" spies have either been arrested by security forces, or fled from Lebanon in the last eight months.