A flag of the Islamic State group. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army announced in a statement Thursday that it has turned over to the judiciary a man accused of belonging to the Islamic State group (IS) and of leading a terrorist cell in the Wadi Khaled area of northern Lebanon.
According to the army, the individual "facilitated the transfer of explosives and funds sent by the organization's leadership, with the aim of carrying out operations inside Lebanon."
Lebanon has experienced a turbulent security situation over the past decade, with the emergence of IS in the region, mainly in the north and east of the country. In 2014, the town of Ersal was the scene of violent clashes between the Lebanese Army and jihadists from IS and the al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda's branch), mainly coming from Syria.
Cells from the group, however, continue to operate out of the Syrian Badia (desert region), as well as in Lebanon.
In early 2022, dozens of young Lebanese from Tripoli disappeared overnight, apparently to join IS in Iraq. Members of a Daesh cell were arrested in northern Lebanon in June 2024, after having committed thefts to fund their activities.
