By SARAH EL DEEB

 

 

 

BEIRUT (AP) — A senior Lebanese military official has dismissed allegations of abuse against hundreds of Syrian detainees caught up in a security sweep in a refugee settlement. The official tells The Associated Press Saturday the mass detentions were necessary to determine who was behind a series of attacks against Lebanese troops. He said the detention of 355 Syrians “is not a directed aggression against anyone.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. A suicide bomber blew himself up among a family of Syrian refugees during raids on two settlements in Arsal on Friday, killing a girl. Another struck near troops, wounding three soldiers. Three other suicide bombers blew themselves up during the clashes