Prominent IS Member Arrested in Northern Bekaa

The army arrested on Saturday morning a prominent member of the Islamic State group, reported the National News Agency.

It said that he was arrested in Ain al-Shaab between the towns of al-Labweh and Arsal as he was fleeing the region to the North.

NNA later revealed his name as Abdul Rahman al-Bazerbashi, 21, also known as grandson of al-Baghdadi.

He took part in clashes against the army in the northern city of Tripoli and northeastern border town of Arsal.

Several suspected IS members have been arrested in recent months throughout Lebanon.

In August, IS and al-Nusra Front groups overran Arsal where they engaged in battles with the army.

They withdrew after a short round of fighting, but abducted in their wake a number of servicemen.

A few were released, four were executed, while the rest remain held.

Since the conflict in neighboring Syria broke out in 2011, Lebanon has faced mounting spill-over threats, first from the millions of refugees pouring across the border and increasingly from jihadists.

M.T.

D.A.