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Conflict Incident Report
Handler of Daesh-terror cell resides in Ain al-Hilweh
The seven-member terror-link that was arrested by Lebanon's security forces had one handler, local media reported.
Al-Markaziah News Agency said that Kh.S., who has been unknown by the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp officials, resides in Huttein neighborhood and has been orchestrating the movement of the network from its vicinity.
The news agency reported that the handler have been meeting with suspected militants belonging to the Al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades and Daesh (ISIS).
The suspect reportedly had ties to Imad Yassine, a Daesh commander in Ain al-Hilweh who was arrested in August.
Lebanese security forces have foiled a number of Daesh terror plots that were intended to inflict the highest number of casualties possible, said a General Security statement issued Friday.
Seven suspects of different Arab nationalities were arrested.
The suspects allegedly admitted to planning a series of suicide bombings, assassinations and attacks.
The seven-member Daesh network was reportedly in communication with other Daesh members from various Lebanese areas, particularly in the Palestinian refugee camps of Ain al-Hilweh, Burj al-Barajneh, and Shatila.
The suspects allegedly took orders from extremist figures in these camps and were directed to carry out their missions in Lebanon.
The first intended attack was allegedly a plot in which four Yemeni terrorists in the network would storm a public facility, throw hand grenades and opening fire with silencers equipped pistols, before blowing themselves up with explosive belts in order to inflict the highest number of casualties.
Abu Bakr al-Maqdesi was tasked with killing Lebanese Army soldiers and servicemen, in addition to killing individuals linked to Lebanese political parties in the vicinity of Shatila and Burj al-Barajneh camps. Shatila is on the southern edge of Beirut, while Burj al-Barajneh is in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
A group within the network was also tasked with obtaining a number of explosives detonators from the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh and transporting them to Beirut’s Cola area. Suspect Kh.M. was allegedly tasked with preparing four home-made bombs, each containing three kilograms of TNT and capable of remote cellphone-triggered detonation.
The four cellphone chips were to be bought from different mobile shops. One of the home-made bombs was to be detonated in the northern city of Tripoli, two in the southern city of Nabatieh and one in the Rehab area of Beirut’s southern suburbs. The group’s fifth mission was to form a Beirut based cell linked to carry out attacks, including against security targets in Lebanon.
Another alleged mission involved tasking one of the suspected terrorists with conducting a suicide bombing at the entrance of a south Lebanon building in which an unidentified religious figure resides, with the aim of killing the target.
The statement added that all agencies in Lebanon and the directorate would continue to prevent these “cowardly crimes from taking place.”