Man who Formed Terror Cell in Tripoli Referred to Judiciary

A man arrested Thursday on charges of forming a terrorist cell in the northern city of Tripoli has been referred to the relevant judicial authorities, the army announced on Tuesday.

“The Intelligence Directorate referred to the competent judicial authorities the detainee Mohammed al-Ayyoubi, who had been arrested on September 25, 2014 on charges of forming a terrorist cell in Tripoli,” the Army Command said in a communique.

It noted that the aforementioned cell “was plotting to undermine civil peace and attack security forces.”

“Ayyoubi had traveled to a neighboring country along with another person, where he pledged allegiance to one of the terrorist organizations,” the army said.

“He later returned (to Lebanon) to set up the cell, which he formed to carry out specific missions once he receives orders from behind the borders,” it added.

The man later dispatched an envoy to foreign countries with the aim of “obtaining the needed funding to finance the activities of the terrorist cell,” the army revealed.

“The aforementioned delegate was also arrested and referred to investigation,” it said.

On Thursday, the army arrested suspected terrorists during raids it carried out on Syrian refugee encampments and residences in Tripoli and the northeastern border town of Arsal.

It said it arrested 20 suspects and seized arms, ammunition and military gear found in their possession in Tripoli's Abi Samra district.

The military said late Wednesday that a soldier was wounded when militants opened fire at army posts in Bab al-Tabbaneh, Syria Street and al-Bisar in Tripoli. A soldier was killed in a similar attack in Tripoli a day earlier.

Media reports have recently accused an armed group operating in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front extremist groups, but the gunmen denied that.

The same group is also accused of being behind several attacks on the army in the city.

Y.R.