A billboard of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad riddled with bullets in Damascus, on Dec. 16, 2024, after the fall of his regime a week earlier. (Credit: Ammar Awad/Reuters)
Nearly two years after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, cells loyal to the former regime continue to operate in Lebanon. On Wednesday, the Intelligence Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) dismantled a clandestine pro-Assad network in Akkar that was preparing operations across the border against Syria’s new authorities, in coordination with a former Syrian general who is exiled in Moscow alongside Bashar al-Assad. Zoom out ‘Eastern Mediterranean’ vs. ‘Mecca alliance:’ Lebanon, Syria at the heart of a regional power struggle As part of the crackdown, five people were arrested: three Syrian and two Lebanese nationals. Two other Lebanese nationals are also currently wanted. It is worth noting that the list of those arrested reveals the former Syrian dictator’s discreet influence within Lebanon’s security apparatuses,...
Nearly two years after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, cells loyal to the former regime continue to operate in Lebanon. On Wednesday, the Intelligence Directorate of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) dismantled a clandestine pro-Assad network in Akkar that was preparing operations across the border against Syria’s new authorities, in coordination with a former Syrian general who is exiled in Moscow alongside Bashar al-Assad. Zoom out ‘Eastern Mediterranean’ vs. ‘Mecca alliance:’ Lebanon, Syria at the heart of a regional power struggle As part of the crackdown, five people were arrested: three Syrian and two Lebanese nationals. Two other Lebanese nationals are also currently wanted. It is worth noting that the list of those arrested reveals the former Syrian dictator’s discreet influence within Lebanon’s...
