IS Suspect Held in Chekka as General Security Arrests Nusra Militant

Two militants from the extremist Islamic State and al-Nusra Front groups have been arrested in Lebanon, the National News Agency and a security agency announced on Monday.

“Abdul Rahman Ali Maarabani – born in Bab al-Tabbaneh in 1991 and wanted on an arrest warrant for belonging to the IS group – was arrested in the town of Chekka by a patrol from the (Internal Security Forces') Intelligence Branch,” NNA said.

It noted that he was captured after a surveillance operation and that he was handed over to the branch's Beirut department.

Earlier in the day, the General Security announced the arrest of a Syrian Nusra Front militant.

“As part of its monitoring of the activities of terrorist groups and their sleeper cells, and following authorization from the judiciary, the General Directorate of General Security arrested the Syrian O. A. for belonging to the terrorist al-Nusra Front group,” the General Security said.

The man is also accused of “being involved with other individuals in providing logistic support to one of the group's cells, which is tasked with preparing explosives and plotting bombings on Lebanese soil,” the agency added.

“Following interrogation, he was referred to the relevant judicial authorities and efforts are underway to arrest the rest of the culprits,” it said.

On Saturday, the General Security said it arrested a Palestinian and a Syrian for carrying out terrorist activities in Lebanon.

The Palestinian refugee had been involved along with other members of a group in training Islamic State group members in exchange for financial payments made by another Palestinian, said a communique.

The training they had received was for the purpose of carrying out bombings in Lebanon, it said.

General Security also arrested a Syrian for belonging to the IS and monitoring Lebanese army bases and movements in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

The army fought deadly battles in August 2014 with Syria-based IS and Nusra militants who stormed Arsal after the arrest of a senior jihadist. The attackers were eventually routed from the town but they managed to kidnap dozens of troops and policemen of whom four have been executed.

Y.R.