Armed Forces Carry Out Raids across Lebanon, Arrest Several Suspects

The army carried out several raids on Thursday in Lebanon's northeastern border towns and the Bekaa Valley as the body of a Syrian refugee linked to one of the terrorist organizations was found on the outskirts of Arsal.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the body of Syrian refugee Mohammed Seifeddine was found in Arsal's Jouban area.

He is reportedly linked to a terrorist organization entrenched on the outskirts of the town. Seifeddine was hit with a sharp tool on the head.

NNA reported that the army detained three suspects in the village of Khirbet Daoud in the northern district of Akkar.

The army later issued a statement saying troops carried out a major raid in the Akkar areas of Dweir Adawiya and Khirbet Daoud in search of "fugitives involved in attacks on the army and in acts of terror."

The crackdown resulted in the arrest of Abdul Menem Mahmoud Khaled, the army said, describing him as an official of one of the terrorist groups and a deserter Lebanese sergeant.

Troops also arrested Lebanese nationals Khaled Mohammed Saadeddine, Kamel Mohammed Saadeddine and Ghaddaf Mohammed Saadeddine, and Syrian nationals Abdul Menem Raad al-Zohbi, aka Abu Hureira, Ahmed Khaled al-Jalkh, Osama Mohammed Hussein and Ibrahim Mohammed al-Zohbi.

The army noted that Abu Hureira is "the emir of a terrorist group."

It said the detainees were handed over to the relevant authorities and that a probe got underway.

The military also carried out raids on Syrian encampments in the western Bekaa town of Jib Janine and detained six Syrians who entered Lebanon illegally.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Drug Bureau of the Internal Security Forces arrested a suspect identified as S.M.T. in the Minieh region of north Lebanon.

He hails from Akkar's Wadi Jamous area and is suspected of belonging to an armed group.

The Lebanese security forces began implementing recently strict security measures and kicked off security plans across the country to reduce crime rate and clamp down on terrorists.

The Lebanese army has been carrying out large-scale raids and has managed to arrest scores of offenders.

H.K./Y.R.