Group suspected of links to Islamic State arrested in Beirut's southern suburbs

A General Security unit carried out a raid on Monday in the southern suburbs of Beirut and arrested a group of individuals in an apartment located in the Burj al-Barajneh neighborhood, as reported by several local media outlets. According to al-Manar, this group is suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS).

Images filmed by locals and shared on social media showed at least five individuals arrested by security agents, as reported by al-Jadeed.

The images of this operation circulated even more after al-Manar claimed that these arrests were carried out on the basis of "suspicions of links with Daesh," using the Arabic name for IS.

'Suspicious movements'

According to the report, the apprehended men were reportedly Syrian nationals. After observing "suspicious movements by the group since yesterday (Sunday) evening," the army allegedly decided to take action. An al-Manar correspondent also added that "communication software with Mossad" – the Israeli foreign intelligence service – was discovered on the phones of the individuals apprehended, without providing further details.

Contacted by L'Orient Today, the army declined to comment on the reason for these arrests.

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Is there a possible resurgence of the jihadist threat in Lebanon?

These arrests occurred at a time of heightened vigilance against a potential resurgence of a jihadist threat in the region, a week after a suicide bombing in a church in Damascus, Syria, which killed at least 25 people and was claimed by a group considered close to IS.

Three Lebanese accused of being members of the cell that organized this attack against the Saint Elie Church have since been arrested by Syrian security forces.

Last week, the intelligence services of the Lebanese Army announced the arrest of the new presumed head of IS in Lebanon, nicknamed "Qassoura," as well as several other people, without establishing links to the attack in Damascus.

Lebanon, and in particular the southern suburbs of Beirut, were heavily affected by jihadist groups during the Syrian civil war (2011-2024). In November 2015, a double suicide bombing claimed by IS in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in retaliation for Hezbollah's support for the Assad regime, killed 44 people.