Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade Warns of Attacks against Army, Calls for Release of al-Atrash
The "Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade” warned on Saturday the Lebanese army that it will be targeted by attacks until it proves its patriotism, calling for the release of Sheikh Omar al-Atrash.
“The Lebanese army will remain a target until it proves its patriotism and its liberation from Iran and Hizbullah,” the brigade said via twitter.
It also slammed caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, considering him a “minister that follows the instructions of Hizbullah Secretary-General (Sayyed) Hassan Nasrallah.”
The brigade said in another tweet that Charbel is an “expert in targeting Sunnis in Lebanon.”
The "Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade” has no known ties with any Lebanese or Syrian group, and it had claimed before responsibility for killing Hizbullah military commander Hassan Hollo al-Laqqis.
The group also demanded the release of Sheikh Omar al-Atrash, urging the army to end all abuses against him in the prisons of “loathing and hatred.”
The brigade called on the Sunni Muslim clerics and scholars to act according to their conscience and give al-Atrash his rights back.
Al-Atrash, 24, has also been charged with detonating bombs and explosive-rigged vehicles, attacking the army in Majdelyoun and al-Awwali bridge areas in the southern city of Sidon in December and launching rockets on Israel.
The Sheikh, who hails from the Bekaa valley and was arrested last month, has also admitted to having ties with Abdullah Azzam Brigades, Jabhat al-Nusra and The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) members.
On Friday, the group announced killing an Iranian military trainer the day before in the Bekaa region.
The operation created an atmosphere of panic and confusion among party members, the statement remarked, the brigade said on twitter.
It also warned of attacks and strikes against Hizbullah supporters in the Bekaa and around Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Mufti of Baalbek Bakr al-Rifai denied later on Friday the brigade's claims, adding that the group "does not exist."
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