Dangerous Fugitive Arrested in Sidon amid Intensive Army Measures

The army pressed on with its crackdown in the southern city of Sidon on Wednesday, arresting a dangerous fugitives and seizing landmines that turned out to be obsolete.

"A number of assault rifles and their ammunition in addition to military equipment and parts of 6 anti-vehicle landmines were seized during a raid in Siroub, Sidon," the army said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, state-run National News Agency said "an army force found six landmines in a deserted house in the town of Siroub, east of the city of Sidon.”

“The house is adjacent to that of Sheikh Othman H., which was raided yesterday, and it was owned by now-deceased citizen Mahmoud Sh.,” it said.

It later reported that the landmines were “obsolete and not set for detonation.”

Meanwhile, al-Jadeed TV said “army intelligence agents arrested the fugitive Abdul Rahman H. after raiding his house in Sidon,” noting that “he is one of those accused of plotting a terror operation” in the southern city.

LBCI television identified the man as Abdul Rahman al-Hallaq and said he is a member of a cell loyal to fugitive Islamist cleric Ahmed al-Asir.

OTV for its part said Hallaq is “the mastermind of the terrorist cells which were busted recently.”

Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) meanwhile said troops raided places in the al-Kinan neighborhood in the Old City of Sidon in search of fugitives.

"The army raided the al-Taamir area near Sidon's state-run hospital in search of fugitives," al-Jadeed said later on Wednesday.

For its part, Future TV said "army intelligence agents raided the house of al-Asir supporter Hadi N. in the villas area in Sidon and seized a computer."

Separately, the TV network said shots were fired in the air in the Sidon neighborhood of Haret Saida “as a speeding car failed to stop at a Hizbullah checkpoint guarding a Ashoura gathering.”

“Hizbullah members detained the driver of the car and there is secrecy regarding his identity,” it added.

The crackdown in Sidon intensified on Tuesday as the army raided a house belonging to pro-Asir cleric Sheikh Othman H. in the Siroub area.

An arms depot belonging to Asir supporters was seized on Monday in the Old City.

The developments come in the wake of deadly weekend battles between the army and Islamist gunmen in several districts of Tripoli and the nearby northern region of Minieh, which resulted in the death of 11 troops, 5 civilians and several militants.

The Sidon suburb of Abra had in June 2013 witnessed bloody battles between the army and gunmen loyal to al-Asir, in which dozens of people were killed and scores others wounded.

Y.R.