5 Tripoli Men Joined IS in Arsal Plains, 2 Involved in Troops Beheading

Five Lebanese citizens have joined the extremist Islamic State group in the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal and two of them played a role in the recent decapitation of two captive Lebanese troops, a media report said on Wednesday.

“Five individuals who hail from (the northern city of) Tripoli have joined the IS group in Arsal's outskirts,” LBCI television reported.

It identified them as “Ahmed Miqati and his son Omar -- who are wanted by Lebanese security agencies -- Bilal Miqati, Mohammed al-Eter aka Abou Yaacoub, and his brother Bilal al-Eter.”

The TV network said the five men left Tripoli as the implementation of a strict security plan got underway on April 1, when several other top fugitives went on the run.

“Bilal Miqati was behind executing one of the Lebanese troops as the investigations of security agencies have revealed, while Mohammed al-Eter was present during the beheading of the other soldier,” LBCI said.

On Tuesday, the TV station reported that “a computer comparison has proved that the features of the terrorist who stood over martyr Ali al-Sayyed's body are identical to those of Bilal Miqati.”

The security agency probing the case has become confident that “Miqati is the one who executed a-Sayyed,” LBCI said on Wednesday.

The two slain soldiers were among around 35 troops and policemen who were abducted by the IS and al-Nusra Front during deadly clashes with the army in and around Arsal in early August.

Y.R.

M.T.