Army Arrests Ziad Allouki's Brother in Tripoli

A brother of a top Bab al-Tabbaneh gunman was arrested Monday in the northern city of Tripoli.

“Army intelligence agents arrested Ziad Allouki's brother in Tripoli,” OTV reported.

Later on Monday, the army issued a statement confirming that “Yehia Allouki was arrested this afternoon by agents from the Intelligence Directorate.”

It said Yehia was wanted on multiple arrest warrants on charges of “shooting, hurling hand grenades and taking part in acts that undermine security.”

“He is being interrogated under the supervision of the relevant judicial authorities,” the army statement added.

Ziad Allouki was the so-called leader of the Souk al-Qameh fighting frontier in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood. But as a strict, unprecedented security plan got underway in the city, he went into hiding, joining many top fugitives who disappeared with the beginning of the crackdown.

In June 2013, the army raided an arms depot belonging to Allouki, which contained a quantity of explosives, local-made mortars, rifles, ammunition and other military equipment.

Last month, the army deployed heavily in Tripoli and started implementing a major security plan devised by the government to end violence in the city. The plan took into consideration the recommendations of the Higher Defense Council.

Tripoli witnessed around 20 rounds of deadly gunbattles in recent years between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen.

The security plan has resulted in the arrest of dozens of gunmen and fugitives in Tripoli and the Bekaa but a lot of wanted men have managed to escape.

Y.R.

S.D.B.