Another Soldier Reportedly Defects to Nusra after One Says Joined 'Jihadists'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Another Lebanese soldier has defected to al-Nusra Front, media reports said on Friday evening, only hours after the group published a video in which the soldier Mohammed Antar announced that he had "joined the jihadists."
"The soldier Abdullah Ahmed Shehadeh, who hails from the Akkar town of Mashha, has defected to al-Nusra Front," al-Jadeed TV reported, noting that he was a member of the Fifth Intervention Regiment.
"He telephoned his family to inform them that he has joined al-Nusra Front and his family is trying to communicate with him to convince him to return," al-Jadeed said.
As Safir newspaper also reported the defection of "the soldier A. Sh., who hails from Akkar's Mashha."
Earlier on Friday, al-Nusra Front, al-Qaida's Syria affiliate, published a video showing a Lebanese army soldier announcing that he has defected to the extremist group to “defend the Sunni community” and in protest at Hizbullah's “practices.”
“I'm the soldier Mohammed Antar from the Rafik Hariri International Airport's guard platoon. I announce my defection from the Lebanese army which is supporting the tyrants and defending the 'party of Satan' (Hizbullah),” the soldier says in the brief video.
“I have joined the ranks of the jihadists in al-Nusra Front, who are fighting … to defend the Sunni community,” he added.
Antar then accuses Hizbullah of “killing” army troops to “frame the Sunni community” during the 2013 battle with Ahmed al-Asir's group in Abra and claims that the army sided with “Jabal Mohsen's people when they were shelling Bab al-Tabbaneh” in Tripoli.
He also accuses the army of “practicing injustice against civilians and Syrians in Arsal,” urging “Sunni young men to defect from the tyrant (military) institution.”
Al-Nusra had earlier on Friday announced Antar's defection on twitter and published a photo of him.
TV and radio stations meanwhile said that Antar hails from the area of al-Zahriyeh in the northern city of Tripoli.
LBCI quoted a security source as saying that a search warrant has been issued against him, noting that he was not on duty when he escaped.
The first time a Lebanese soldier defected to the Nusra Front in neighboring Syria was in July.
Corporal Atef Mohammed Saadeddine claimed in a video that his move came as a result of the injustice against Sunnis in Lebanon.
Islamists in the country claim that Sunnis are facing harassment by the army, which they accuse of working under the command of Hizbullah.
The Shiite party has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to help the regime of President Bashar Assad against the rebels fighting his troops.
Hizbullah members have engaged in bloody gunbattles with al-Nusra Front, the Islamic State group and other Syrian opposition fighters in Syria and the border region with Lebanon.
The jihadist groups took several Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage in August and executed three of them.
G.K./Y.R.
10 October 2014, 11:50
88
Why is he squatting? Could it be that he is from Tripoli? Hmmmmm.
10 October 2014, 11:59
87
I was really surprised to hear about an Al Qaeda-sympathizing jihadist terrorist from Tripoli.
Oh wait.
10 October 2014, 12:02
78
the tip of the iceberg , the rest are polititicians like this traitor who have their allegiance not to Lebanon but to others and $$££££
especially the traitors are the MP that refused and are refusing to arm our soldiers they should bejudged and hangeg
10 October 2014, 14:41
85
"the tip of the iceberg" ... does that explain why he is squatting? ;)
10 October 2014, 12:19
57
Defected under torture? Or tactical and temporary defection until he recovers his freedom...?
I am not afraid from external enemies, we will defeat them.
The enemy from within is the one who can destroy Lebanon.
10 October 2014, 12:36
810
remember, the one who keeps saying 'sectarian' (because it cannot win any argument otherwise) is in all likelyhood the hypocrite sectarian itself.
10 October 2014, 14:40
84
to be honest, judging by the looks of this wannabee drag queen and his pose under his "MOUDY" poster, the LAF is better off without him.
10 October 2014, 14:43
27
When Chadi Al Moulawi was arrested in 2012, he was picked up by Miqati in his own car from Roumieh's prison and brought back to freedom in Tipoli. Miqati was the PM of the March 8th gevernment at that time and the Justince Misiter was Aouneh. With Riffi as the Justice Minister, today Chadi AL Moulawi has an arrest warrant against him and hiding in Bab AL Tibbbaneh and Qahwaji is waiting for the right moment to get him "wihout spilling a lot of innocent blood". With Mashouq as the Interior Minister, the fighting in Tripoli stopped between Tibbaneh and Jabal Mohsen.
The streets in Tripoli and Akkar are controlled by salafist gangs that take orders from the likes of Sheikh Al Rafi3i,Al MAssri, etc...
It is wrong to keep attaking the only moderate muslims in Lebanon represented by Al Mustakbal.
I advise you to educate yourself a little about salafism. Get this new book that will be out next week : "Salafism in Lebanon: From Apoliticism to Transnational Jihadism" By Robert Rabil
10 October 2014, 17:55
83
mostly agree on what you said, except miqati was not and never was m8. to me he is maybe the smartest of m8's enemies, accepting the post of prime minister only to sabotage the m8 government by blocking all its actions and diverting them.
as for you trying to paint rifi as better, i say when he arrests mawlawi then we'll see, for now it's all talk. and dont forget that at the start of his mandate, miqati announced rifi and said mirza, the mutineer head of police and the corrupt judge, were untouchables.
10 October 2014, 14:44
95
lol that is what nusra supporters want to believe. in their deluded minds they try to equal themselves to hezbollah, like rats thinking they can equal the lion.
10 October 2014, 14:56
14
Maybe, but I personally don't think the Army should solely focus on those areas and turn a blind eye on others, because remember, a sleeper cell works most efficiently - and with the most dangerous results - when it is within the lion's lair, so to speak. Allah yi7mi Jésh Libnen!
10 October 2014, 15:00
44
Hell no dude! I do not like Hizb, but I certainly won't stand for yet more religious extremists in my country. I understand that your exaggerated statement may have been sarcastically made to drive home a point through comparison, but in all seriousness, surely you know two evils don't make a good. And surely you must know by now that the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily a friend.
10 October 2014, 17:57
94
yea, until he pulls a samir geagea (term used in the army for people who butcher army officers)
10 October 2014, 18:45
27
keep adding one more bla to your name and soon you will have the whole page
10 October 2014, 18:58
64
No Lebanese will be proud and the majority of people in tripoli and arsal will surly be ashamed! Unfortunately, the reputation of the majority of people in tripoli and arsal are hijacked by the minority extremist!
10 October 2014, 20:53
56
When you will end up by learning thevtruth you will spit on him and hate him for having abused your confidence. Remember my words
10 October 2014, 20:56
34
What do you say about someone who said : "They will have to elect me president. If they don't I will destroy Lebanon and then they will be forced to elect me"
11 October 2014, 01:01
42
Good riddance. If he tries to return to Lebanon as a member of the jihadist terrorists, exterminate him.
