Lebanese soldiers on duty in Ras Baalbeck, at the Syrian border, during an operation against the Islamic State group, on Aug. 17, 2017. (Credit: AFP)
A senior Islamic State (IS) leader who had declared an "IS caliphate in Lebanon" was arrested by army intelligence last December in the country's north, a military source confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour on Tuesday. The arrest was described as "unprecedented in terms of the importance and scale" of the structure established by the accused, the source added. It marks the first time a "Lebanon caliphate" has been proclaimed, as IS members in the country have typically been affiliated with "caliphates" in Syria or Iraq.The suspect, identified as M. Kh., a 31-year-old Lebanese national known as Abou Said al-Shami, was appointed wali (leader) of the so-called Lebanon caliphate by IS, which provided him with an official seal of authority. He had begun setting up an internal organization and even attempted an attack, which failed. According...
A senior Islamic State (IS) leader who had declared an "IS caliphate in Lebanon" was arrested by army intelligence last December in the country's north, a military source confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour on Tuesday. The arrest was described as "unprecedented in terms of the importance and scale" of the structure established by the accused, the source added. It marks the first time a "Lebanon caliphate" has been proclaimed, as IS members in the country have typically been affiliated with "caliphates" in Syria or Iraq.The suspect, identified as M. Kh., a 31-year-old Lebanese national known as Abou Said al-Shami, was appointed wali (leader) of the so-called Lebanon caliphate by IS, which provided him with an official seal of authority. He had begun setting up an internal organization and even attempted an attack, which failed. According...
