Security bodies must unite to face jihadists

Lebanon’s security agencies must unite to confront multiple security crises facing the country, especially following the targeted killing of soldiers and a recent plot to assassinate General Security head Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, security sources told The Daily Star.

Despite deep political divisions affecting the country, the security agencies have recently boosted coordination among various branches with the establishment of a joint operations room, which has already yielded positive results and increased agents’ readiness to respond to threats.

A high-ranking security source described the overall situation as “extremely sensitive” but added there was “no need to panic.”

“We will confront these takfiri attacks on various fronts using a number of special methods. We are up to the challenge,” the source said. “The security apparatus will make every effort to protect the peace and has already achieved impressive achievements that spared Lebanon from imminent threats in the past.”

Specifically, the Army and security bodies are waging a war against externally supported armed groups that seek to encourage extremism in order to create an incubator for their ideology, as part of their plan to change the face of the Arab world.

Increased vigilance and cooperation led to the arrest of four Syrian men suspected of plotting to assassinate Ibrahim. Investigations eventually led the authorities to a large cache of weapons and explosives near the south Lebanon village of Kawthariyat al-Siyyad, where Ibrahim’s family home is located. The cell allegedly planned to assassinate Ibrahim when he visited his then ailing mother. They reportedly entered the country from Shebaa in the south.

Questioning of the four suspects involved in the plot to take Ibrahim’s life led investigators to the cache, as well as two other suspects who were in the area and had adopted elaborate disguises. They all eventually admitted the whereabouts and source of the weapons.

However, Lebanon’s security remains precarious.

Reports indicate that armed groups have great ambitions for Lebanon. These groups seek to attract more fighters to their cause in order to take Damascus and topple the Syrian regime.

The security agencies have not revealed their next step in their ongoing efforts to keep the peace and prevent the killing of more Lebanese soldiers and security officials, but sources said that initial information indicated the presence of extremist groups in north Lebanon with ties to the Nusra Front and ISIS. These groups have created a list of targets in its campaign against the Lebanese Army in an effort to put it on the defensive and create a security vacuum.

These extremist groups are reportedly trying to identify the sectarian affiliation of soldiers, despite accusing the entire Army of apostasy. Security agencies are on high alert, especially given the professional nature of soldier assassinations in the north.