Source:The961 blog
A Daesh-linked Lebanese has been arrested yesterday. He is suspected
of plotting to carry out a terrorist attack in downtown Beirut.The Solidere employee was recruited by Daesh to monitor surveillance
cameras in downtown. A judicial source told The Daily Star Tuesday the
suspect, identified by authorities as 26-year-old Sidon native Mustapha
Safadi A judicial source, as well as authorities, identified the suspect as 26-year-old Sidon native Mustapha Safadi.
The Solidere employee monitored the construction firm’s security
cameras that watch almost the entirety of Downtown Beirut. Many public
institutions, major businesses, tourist attractions and homes of
influential figures including Prime Minister Saad Hariri are based in
the district. The Solidere employee was chosen due to his access to “sensitive information” because of his job. The family is known as a conservative working-class household. One of
Safadi’s brothers works for an Islamic social institution while his
sister works for an Islamic teaching organization.
Although the family has a reputation for being conservative, there is
no indication that family members hold extremists views, except for one
of Safadi’s brothers. Mustapha’s brother is reportedly in Syria fighting alongside Daesh.
When Safadi’s brother in Syria found out he had married a Shiite woman,
he branded him an apostate and refused to speak to him.
The Palestinian Suspect
A suspected Palestinian accomplice was also arrested but they are still looking for 3 others who may be involved.
The suspect has confessed to being recruited by a Palestinian in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp located in the South of Lebanon.
The Palestinian arrested admitted to working for a Daesh leader
living in Ain al-Hilweh to recruit Lebanese youth to join the Daesh.
He said that the recruited Lebanese youth were smuggled into ISIS territory, Raqqa, in Syria.
Lebanese security forces have been cracking down on militants as part of pre-emptive operations against extremist sleeper-cells.