LA Dismantles Bomb-Laden Car in Arsal

Local Editor

The Lebanese Army dismantled an explosives-rigged vehicle on the outskirts of Arsal in east Lebanon Monday.

A rigged Honda CRV was discovered in the mountainous region of Wadi Hmayyed on the outskirts of Arsal, according to a statement issued by the Army. The military brought an explosives expert to the site and cordoned off the area around where the vehicle containing "a large quantity of explosives" was spotted.

Also in Arsal, the LA arrested three armed Syrian nationals in a car coming from Syria after their vehicle failed to stop at the behest of soldiers, prompting them to fire and shoot out a tire. A quantity of ammunitions was confiscated during the arrest, according to an Army statement.

Al-Jadeed remarked that it contained around 200 kilograms of explosives.
"Troops cordoned off the region where the car was located and a military expert was called in to dismantle the bomb," the NNA said.

However, the same source later said that due to the difficulty of transferring the necessary tools to be used in dismantling the bomb, the car was taken to an army barracks.
"But troops were targeted with gunshots while en route to the barracks," the NNA noted.
Meanwhile, Tripoli gunmen and fighters went into hiding in anticipation of the government's security plan, as the military prosecutor, in an unprecedented move, issued warrants against 200 suspects, including militia leaders linked to clashes between rival neighborhoods.
The Army was reticent to divulge details of the fine points of the security plan or its intended start date. "We have finalized preparations but we will not disclose the time and date of the plan's launch," a source said.

When pressed for details, he said: "We are interested in ensuring no one carries arms illegally in Lebanon."
The government ratified the security plan during a session last week to end the sectarian fighting between rival gunmen in Tripoli and secure the porous border with Syria along the Bekaa Valley.

Judge Sakr Sakr issued warrants seeking the detention of suspects on charges related to armed clashes, car bombs, killings and attempted murder of civilians and Army soldiers, as well as kidnapping and forgery. The warrants indicate the government's resolve to ensure the successful implementation of the security plan and grants security agencies the right to detain suspects and refer them to the judiciary.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team