BEIRUT: The military rounded up 11 people, including four Syrians and an Australian, in Beirut’s densely-populated neighborhood of Tariq al-Jadideh and northern Lebanon Monday on suspicion of having links to jihadi, an Army statement said.
“An Army force raided early morning (Monday) a certain location in Al-Tariq al-Jadideh in Beirut during which it arrested four Syrian nationals, on suspicion of having links to terrorist groups and for residing in Lebanon without legal papers,” the statement said.
It added that six Lebanese and an Australian national were also detained Monday in the district of Koura, in north Lebanon, on suspicion of terror links.
The statement said the men were referred to the judiciary, adding that the arrests were part of a security dragnet targeting wanted militants.
Security sources told The Daily Star that dozens of Syrians are being rounded up regularly as part of the security measure aimed at clamping down on terror suspects and clandestine entry into Lebanon.
Many have also been detained on the basis of search and seizure warrants filed by Interpol or by the Syrian authorities, in line with a treaty for the exchange of criminals signed between Lebanon and Syria, the sources said.
They stressed, however, that those residing illegally are given the chance to legalize their status to avoid deportation.
But those who are wanted in Syrian and had escaped to Lebanon are investigated in order to establish whether their repatriation would place their lives in danger before a decision is made on whether or not to send them back to Syria, the sources added.
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