Army raids in Tripoli and Akkar following reports of plots by Assad supporters in Lebanon

The Lebanese Army carried out raids Saturday in Tripoli, particularly in the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood, as well as in several towns in Akkar, mainly those with Alawite majorities. The operations followed reports by Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera and other local media alleging the presence in northern Lebanon of former associates of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime who are plotting against the new Syrian authorities.

According to information from our North Lebanon correspondent, corroborated by a joint statement from representatives of the five towns concerned, the searches took place in Tal al-Bireh, Hayssa, al-Massoudieh, Dahr al-Qanbar and Tal Abbas al-Charqi.

The operations, which have not yet been officially confirmed by the Lebanese Army, began in the morning and mainly targeted camps and shelters housing displaced Syrians, our correspondent reports.

“In full coordination with the security forces, the Lebanese Army today carried out search campaigns in all the Syrian displaced persons’ camps in these localities. These operations included all tents and residences of the displaced, without exception,” the five localities said in their joint statement. “No one belonging to a military organization or preparing armed operations was apprehended as a result of these searches, which formally contradicts the report broadcast on Al-Jazeera,” they added.

The municipalities stressed that these localities “have hosted, and continue to host, thousands of displaced Syrians since 2011, regardless of sectarian or political affiliation. They still reside here and bear witness to our choice of coexistence and our constant concern for preserving civil peace.”

They further stated that the displaced “can be considered reliable partners on whom the Lebanese state can count should any situation arise that threatens security,” reiterating their respect for Lebanese law and state institutions.

Our correspondent also notes that the Union of Municipalities of the Akkar Plain, which includes these localities, recently issued a similar statement, saying it “fully reserves the right to file complaints and take the necessary legal actions against any media outlet or entity that disseminates false information undermining the authority and credibility of the Lebanese state, or the inhabitants and territories concerned.”

The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, overthrown by a coalition of Islamist rebels on Dec. 8, 2024, and the subsequent intercommunal violence that has bloodied Syria since then have triggered new waves of displaced Syrians, notably Alawites, into Lebanon, particularly to Akkar and Hermel.

In a video published on Dec. 31, Al-Jazeera revealed, in excerpts from an investigation, that officers from the Assad regime are preparing "a plot" to destabilize Syria through military action against President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government on the Alawite-populated coast, notably from Lebanon.