Picture of Would-Be Arsal Suicide Bomber Circulated as Army Continues Shelling Militants

Security reports Wednesday unveiled that a suicide bomber from the northeastern border town of Arsal will blow himself up against “civilian or military gatherings,” as the army continued to target jihadist gunmen positioned in the town's outskirts.

The state-run National News Agency stated that security forces have obtained information about “Mahmoud Abdul Karim Hmayyed's intention to carry out a suicide operation.”

Hmayyed is 21 years old and his mother's name is Nafisa Hmayyed, according to the security memo that was published by NNA.

The agency said that the would-be suicide bomber's target is “civilian or military gatherings.”

After posting his picture, the NNA published a request from the authorities calling on “everyone who identifies Hmayyed or knows where he is to quickly inform any security department.”

The Lebanese army has been battling the Syria-based Islamist militants who are entrenched on the porous border between Lebanon and Syria since several months.

In August, they overran Arsal and engaged in deadly fighting with the army. Around 20 troops were killed while at least 35 soldiers and policemen were taken hostage by the retreating militants.

Meanwhile, the NNA reported Wednesday that “the army shelled the militants' positions along the Eastern Mountain Belt as a rocket landed between the towns of al-Fakiha and al-Labweh.”

However, al-Labweh municipal chief Ramez Amhaz denied reports that a rocket had landed between al-Lawbeh and al-Fakiha.

M.Y.

Y.R.