Mashnouq Tours Dahiyeh as Security Plan Set to Include Fanar

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq toured on Wednesday Beirut's southern suburbs in the light of the security deployment in the area after a security plan kicked off.

“The security is restored in several areas across Lebanon despite the conflict in the region,” Mashnouq said in a press conference from al-Ouzai area.

He stressed that “security forces will not cease their campaign until a list of outlaws are detained,” pointing out that “forces will continue to pursue offenders even if the implementation of the plan ended.”

Mashnouq considered that the security plans enforced by the security agencies and the political dialogue between the rival parties aim at safeguarding the country.

“The Lebanese have chosen to stand by the state,” the minister said, adding: “All areas are under the state control.”

Mashnouq was expected to visit the headquarters of Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc in Dahiyeh as he toured the area.

The army issued a communique later on Wednesday saying that the enforcement of the security plan in Beirut and Dahiyeh is ongoing in cooperation with the General Security and Internal Security Forces.

“The houses of several wanted suspects were raided in Hay al-Sellom, Haret Hreik and Leilaki,” the statement pointed out.

It said that a number of Lebanese outlaws were detained, among them a Palestinian national, on charges of opening fire and the use of force against a security patrol.

The Interior Ministry earlier expressed relief in comments published in al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday over the implementation of a security plan in Beirut and its southern suburbs, stressing that “security is under the state's control.”

“The people and Hizbullah are widely cooperating with the rules set by the security forces,” the ministry's sources told the daily.

“The plan has no certain timeframe... there's a list of outlaws,” the ministry said.

The sources revealed that “the plan will soon include al-Zoaiteriyeh neighborhood in al-Fanar.”

On Tuesday, the army and Internal Security Forces took into force a security plan in Beirut and its southern suburbs to apprehend outlaws, the military announced in a statement.

The plan will last several days as security forces strike with an iron fist to arrest offenders.

The army called on the citizens to comply with the security measures “in order preserve their safety and ensure that their daily routines are not interrupted.”

It also urged them to report any suspicious activity or security incident they may encounter.

The security plan, which includes Hizbullah's stronghold of Dahiyeh, is reportedly widely supported by the party and its Shiite ally AMAL movement.

However, the early announcement of the plan granted offenders time to evade security forces and flee to unknown whereabouts, similarly to the plan implemented in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Prominent offenders fled the Bekaa after security forces announced the zero-hour of the plan, which kicked off in February and dozens of wanted suspects have since been arrested.

A similar plan was adopted by the government in 2014 and implemented in the northern city of Tripoli.

H.K.

M.T.