BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah threw his weight Monday behind calls for a national counter-terrorism strategy to confront the jihadi threat, predicting more attacks on the horizon.
“We support the call for placing a national strategy for counter-terrorism,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech.
The remarks came in response to former premier Saad Hariri who called for such a plan in a speech delivered on Saturday, noting that terrorism is a common enemy.
Nasrallah also offered support for the Bekaa Security plan launched last week, saying that its implementation came late.
Addressing Bekaa Valley residents, Nasrallah said that it is the responsibility of the state, and not Hezbollah or the Amal Movement, to enforce security in the area.
Security forces on Thursday began raiding towns across the northern Bekaa to crack down on theft and the illicit drug trade.
At least 137 suspects have been rounded up since the raids began, according to official figures.
The security plan requires a development plan to go along with it, Nasrallah said, such as the construction of hospitals.
He also called on the state to prepare for more jihadi attacks, anticipating that militants will renew attacks once winter passes.
Speaking two days after Lebanon marked the 10th anniversary of the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, Nasrallah extended his sympathies to the Hariri family and the families of 21 other people who were killed during the 2005 Downtown Beirut blast.
Nasrallah said that talks with the Future Movement yielded positive developments.
“We hope we reach a practical and good conclusion,” he said.
He reiterated his support for talks between any rival party in Lebanon, saying that dialogue is the “best option for us as Lebanese in the current phase.”
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