DNA Confirms Asoun Body is Akkoumi's as Report Says Ahmed Miqati 'Communicated with al-Daher'

DNA tests have confirmed that the scorched body at the raided Dinniyeh apartment is that of defected soldier Abdul Qader al-Akkoumi, the army announced on Friday, as preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested dangerous militant Ahmed Salim Miqati had been “communicating” with al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Khaled al-Daher.

Army intelligence agents on Thursday raided an apartment in the town of Asoun in the northern district of Dinniyeh, which was inhabited by a “group of terrorists,” killing three gunmen and apprehending a fugitive.

The wanted man has been identified as Ahmed Salim Miqati, who was reportedly involved in beheading captive Lebanese soldier Ali al-Sayyed and recruiting defected army troops for the extremist Islamic State group.

Meanwhile, several TV networks – including al-Jadeed, MTV and al-Manar – said the interrogation of Miqati has unveiled that he had been “communicating” with MP Daher via the WhatsApp mobile messaging application.

The militant sent to Daher “videos of defections of Lebanese army troops” while the MP used to send him “messages of motivation and encouragement,” al-Jadeed said.

Akkoumi had announced his defection to the IS group in a video released on October 11.

The army back then clarified that he had deserted the military institution on July 21.

Y.R.