In Pictures: Lebanese forces foil suicide bomber’s attack
Written by Malek

Lebanese security forces stopped the suicide bomber from detonating his device in one of Beirut’s busiest streets on Saturday night. The would-be attacker, Omar Assi, from the southern city of Sidon, attempted to detonate an 8kg shrapnel-filled bomb belt at a Costa coffee shop in the Hamra district, which is a popular shopping hub with tourists and students, filled with cafes, bars and shops. Lebanese army intelligence were able to prevent the bombing by acting on intelligence. A waiter at the Costa told Lebanese television channel LBCI that Assi had been in the café for around 10 minutes before going outside to answer a phone call. “He flirted with the barista while he ordered coffee,” the waiter said. “When he tried to go back in, he was shot in the leg, and the police and army gathered around him to hold him steady at the entrance of the cafe,” he added. Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun and PM Saad Hariri praised the army and police for their collaborative effort in foiling the attempted attack.

Two grenades and a selection of drugs that were taken from the failed suicide bomber

An ID card believed to be that of the failed suicide bomber

The attacker is held down by members of the Lebanese security forces

Blood on the floor after the failed attempt by a man to detonate an apparent suicide bomb. He was shot by security forces