Mikati's arrest foiled militant 'master plan' to paralyze Lebanese Army: report

BEIRUT: The Army’s arrest of an alleged ISIS commander foiled a master plan by militants to paralyze the military across the country and overrun north Lebanon, according to a report about the detainee’s confessions.

As-Safir daily quoted a high-ranking security source about the confessions of Ahmad Mikati, who is believed to be a senior figure in ISIS and was arrested by the Army in late October during a raid on a two-story house in the Dinnieh town of Asoun.

The apartment was being used by a terror ring that was plotting to invade north Lebanon and establish an Islamic emirate there.

Mikati told investigators that the Army’s move in Asoun saved the country from a major terrorist operation comprised of two phases: The first would have seen a series of attacks against the Army in the northern region of Akkar, Beirut and the southern coastal city of Sidon, the newspaper said.

The second phase stipulated that gunmen would then move to tighten the noose on Army centers in the north Lebanon towns of Tripoli, Asoun and Bakhoun, the report said.

Days after the arrest of Mikati, the Army engaged in four-day clashes with militants in Tripoli that killed 11 soldiers and at least 23 gunmen. During the fighting, soldiers came under fire in other northern towns, prompting the Army to pursue gunmen and later launch a crackdown on the militants.

The armed group led by Shadi Mawlawi and Osama Mansour was part of the second phase of the master plan, which would have coincided with calls to Sunni soldiers to defect from the Army and join the ranks of militant groups.

According to As-Safir, Mikati confessed to being on contact with Ahmad Assir, a fugitive Islamist sheikh, who the detainee said remained in Ain al-Hilweh along with Fadl Shaker, the singer-turned-militant.

Shaker, according to Mikati, sought mediations to hand himself over to the Army on the basis that he was not part of the clashes against the Army in June of last year.

Assir’s gunmen engaged in fierce clashes with the Army in 2013.

Speaking to the local daily, the source said Mikati quickly spoke to investigators and quoted the detainee as saying: "Don't hit me, I will tell you everything."