Army to Conduct Security Plan in Bekaa in Upcoming Hours
The Lebanese army will enforce in the upcoming hours a security plan in the eastern Bekaa valley following the successful implementation of the plan in the northern city of Tripoli.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Friday, the military will deploy in northern Bekaa, in particular, on the outskirts of Arsal and the neighboring villages such as Labweh, Hermel and al-Qassr.
The army is strictly ordered to arrest vehicle theft gangs, which are suspected of selling stolen cars to terrorists seeking to carry out attacks in the country.
The army will also detain kidnap-for-ransom networks.
The endeavors come after the Bekaa town of Baalbek has witnessed a series of kidnappings for ransom and car robbery over the past year.
Security forces kicked off on Tuesday the security plan in Tripoli, seizing arms depots and detaining wanted suspects, who are involved in security chaos in the area.
Even in this deployment, top wanted men fled — or were allowed to flee after they were given a warning of the implementation of the plan.
The security plan is an important test case for whether Lebanon can reverse its slide into conflict, fueled by violent sectarian tensions triggered by the war next door in Syria, particularly between the country's Sunnis and Shiite Muslims.
Tripoli witnesses frequent gunbattles between two of the impoverished neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh, which is dominated by Sunnis who support Syrian rebels, and Jabal Mohsen, which is dominated by Alawites, who share the same sect as Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Lebanon's politicians are deeply divided over the Syrian war, and until February, the country was left without a government for nearly a year over it.
Last week, the cabinet tasked the army and security forces with seizing stockpiled arms and controlling the security situation in Tripoli and the eastern Bekaa Valley in areas bordering Syria.
The plan took into consideration the recommendations of the Higher Defense Council.
- H. K.
- G. K.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/125115 |