Armed Forces Implement Security Plan in the South amid Fears of Terrorist Plots by Asir's Supporters
The army and security forces are implementing a security plan in the South after a rise in the rate of terrorist bombings targeting Shiite areas and amid reports that the supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and other extremists would carry out attacks in southern cities and towns.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper on Thursday quoted security sources as saying that the plan was in the initial implementation stage and came upon the request of the leaderships of Hizbullah and Amal movement.
The military and police launched the plan 45 days ago after a green light by the governor of the South, Nicolas Bou Daher, in an attempt to thwart car bombings or attacks by suicide bombers in cities and towns in the South.
A series of deadly bombings have targeted Shiite districts of Beirut's southern suburbs and the eastern Bekaa valley in recent months. Hizbullah has a strong presence in the districts, and the attacks are believed to be in retaliation for the Shiite group's armed intervention in Syria in support of President Bashar Assad against the majority Sunni rebels seeking to topple him.
The same sources told al-Joumhouria that the plan includes the erection of checkpoints in search for stolen cars, which the terrorists are booby-trapping to target the Shiite areas.
The members of the checkpoints have the list of names of wanted individuals with ties to the latest terrorist attacks and the list of vehicles and motorcycles that have violated rules, they said.
A similar security plan has been placed in the southern city of Sidon, which witnessed in June deadly gunbattles between the Lebanese army and al-Asir's gunmen.
Several of his supporters have told investigators that the Salafist sheikh is hiding at the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh along with Fadel Shaker, a once pop idol, who disappeared as a bearded, gun-toting hard-liner.
The plan includes surveillance of the Ain el-Hilweh and Rashidiyeh camps, which both include extremists, over fears that they could target mosques in Sidon and different areas in the South, the sources said.
By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter the refugee camps, leaving security inside to the Palestinians themselves.
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