by gulfnews.com — Khitam Al Amir, Chief News Editor — Dubai: An audio-recorded threat from a Saudi dissident to attack the kingdom’s embassy in Beirut has put Lebanese forces on high alert, local media reported on Wednesday. In the recording, Ali Hashem, who lives in Beirut’s southern suburbs, says: “If anything happens to any member of my family, no employee at the Saudi embassy will remain alive… I will annihilate everyone in the Saudi embassy, everyone who is related to the Saudi embassy.” Lebanese Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi, who is also the head of the Central Internal Security Council, called on Internal Security Forces to investigate and arrest those who are involved. He ordered the matter dealt with as quickly as possible. Mawlawi also called on the General Directorate of Public Security to notify him of the movement of those found to be involved in and out of Lebanon, stressing that “this statement comes in the interest of Lebanon, its security and safety as well as its good relations with brotherly countries, especially Saudi Arabia.”

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Al Bukhari said in a tweet: “Terrorism is the offspring of extremism. Its roots and seeds begin feed on the frustrated mind.” Al Bukhari retweeted Lebanese politicians and analysts warning of threats targeting the Saudi embassy. They called on the Lebanese security services to secure and protect the embassy and take the necessary measures to verify the seriousness of such threats. Lebanese MP Fouad Makhzoumi meanwhile warned that “the circulated reports about a terrorist action against the Saudi embassy require the alertness of security agencies and an immediate action to follow up on the matter and verify the accuracy of the information in order to avoid a human catastrophe.” “The person threatening is known by name and identity and the efforts of all security agencies must be unified to arrest him,” Makhzoumi added.