Analysts Fear Jabhat al-Nusra's Capabilities in Lebanon to Receive a Boost
A significant number of fighters from the Syrian wing of al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra are present in Syria’s mountainous border region, and analysts said the Assad regime's continued efforts to drive rebels out of the area could push more of them into Lebanon.
The analysts told Washington Post that the move could escalate instability by significantly boosting the operational capability of the Lebanese branch of Jabhat al-Nusra.
“Nusra in Lebanon are so far localized in the lawless border zones and are not that significant yet,” said Aymenn al-Tamimi, a fellow at the Middle East Forum who specializes in jihadist groups.
“They appear to have just adopted the name of the Syrian group and the two have not become one yet, but that could change if there was an influx of fighters from Syria,” he told the newspaper.
But other terror groups, particularly the Abdullah Azzam Brigades pose the most immediate threat, said a senior army officer.
The group has claimed responsibility for double suicide bombings on the Iranian cultural center and the Iranian embassy in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The officer told the Post that the Azzam Brigades and Jabhat al-Nusra appear to work in tandem, sometimes releasing joint statements.
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