DAILY SCOPE: ’Israeli’ Intelligence General Among Killed in Strike: Syria

Newspapers on Friday tackled different domestic and international topics that have been witnessing ongoing development. The dailies also revealed the latest developments related to the Syrian crisis. 

On the Lebanese arena, the case of the UAE deporting Lebanese is back to the surface after a long sleep. A diplomat had confirmed that the United Arab Emirates plans to deport scores of Lebanese nationals from the country, yet the Lebanese Foreign Ministry has not yet issued a statement over the matter.

An-Nahar daily quoted a diplomatic source as saying that a decision has been issued by the UAE authorities to deport the Lebanese. The source denied, however, that the involved individuals are only from the Shiite sect. 

The news first erupted when the Lebanese channel LBCI said that the UAE authorities had given 70 Lebanese nationals 24 hours to leave the country in addition to around 130 families that live in Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Sharjah who were told to leave.

But an-Nahar's source said that intensive efforts are underway to resolve the issue. The UAE and other Gulf states have expelled Lebanese citizens in the past.

Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday, reported that several factions linked to the so-called Free Syrian Army are manufacturing Captagon pills and smuggling it through Lebanon en-route to foreign countries. The daily said that the town of Fleita in the Syrian al-Qalamoun region became renowned for manufacturing Captagon and became a key distributor for the drug. Several Captagon shipments seized in Lebanon were exported from Fleita.

On a related note, al-Nusra front terrorist fighters failed in retrieving the strategic land of Dourine, one of the hubs of the terrorist armed groups. A filed source told as-Safir that more than 50 armed terrorists were killed and tens injured in the attack, elaborating that "the armed groups led by the Chechen Abou Moussa had raided the city with tens of rockets before advancing towards the area."

On the regional level, al-Akhbar newspaper said security sources said that the air strike conducted by the Syrian army on Monday noon in which it targeted the terrorists' operation room in Qunaitra region has led to the killing of an "Israeli" general who was coordinating with the other foreign generals of the MOC. 

While some sources said the general is an officer in Aman "Israeli primary military intelligence agency", sources told al-Akhbar the general is a communication officer working in the technical department of the Givati infantry brigade. 

Yemen's army, the Ansarullah movement, and popular committees are holding joint military exercises on Thursday near the border with Saudi Arabia.

The drills are underway in al-Buqa area in the northern province of Saada .They include different kinds of weaponry, such as heavy weapons acquired from the Yemeni army.

"There is a joint maneuver between the army and the Popular Committees," Houthi commander Mohammad al-Bukheiti was quoted by al-Liwaa as telling Reuters. The military exercises come as a report in January revealed that Takfiri groups backed by Riyadh are planning to establish an "al-Qaeda Emirate" in one of the Yemeni provinces.

Source: Lebanese dailies, Edited by website team