Syria denies it threatened Murr before his assassination attempt

Syria denied on Tuesday statements of former Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Al-Murr that he was threatened (by Syrian officials) before an assassination attempt on his life took place recently. Syria said the claims are full of lies and fabrications.

"We fully deny what was said by Murr and express denunciation of these statements that are full of lies and fabrications," a media sources said.

Minister al-Murr, is the son-in-law of the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud.

The source also expressed astonishment that Murr is playing such role, at a time of the return of the UN international investigating team members over assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri from Damascus under a positive atmospheres created by the Syrian cooperation with the committee to divulge the criminals who killed Hariri.

"Such statements are contradicting of the simplest rules of credibility and truths that Mr. Elias al-Murr was presenting himself on their base," the sources added.

Al-Murr's statements came at a time when the Lebanese authorities cracking down a terrorist group which was preparing to attack the Italian embassy in Beirut.