Lebanon arrests network planning to destroy Syrian, Lebanese military centers

A Lebanese security source has announced it had arrested six members of a "destruction network aiming at carrying out explosion operations against Syrian and Lebanese military centers."

An official source in Beirut on Tuesday said that Lebanese army intelligence arrested two persons who admitted to throwing a bomb in a garage in which there were Syrian workers, adding that investigations led to the discovery of other members of the network who are suspected of having links with Israeli intelligence.

A Lebanese security source in the leadership of the Lebanese army reported that, "Following the throwing of a bomb on May 6, 1999 on a garage inside which there were Syrian workers in Mahallet al-Hazemeyah, but which resulted in no casualties, and following investigations carried out by the Lebanese army intelligence directorate, the car from which the attack was made was identified and the arrest of its occupants." The sources added that during the investigations with the two arrested men, "they admitted the following: Establishing a destruction gang aimed at carrying out large-scale bombing operations targeting Lebanese and Syrian military positions and undermining security and stability in Lebanon."

He continued that on the night of December 24, 1998, one of the areested suspects and another accomplice "threw a bomb near a Syrian military position in Mahallet al-Hadath." Where as the two arrested suspects "dropped on May 6, 1999 a bomb on the Syrian workers in al-Hazemeyah. They took part with others in planning for this operation. Six persons were arrested in this case with their responsibilities varying from planning, implementation and providing weapons. The six men were sent to specialized courts for trial."