Lebanon Arrests Suspects in Cross-Border Network
Lebanese authorities have dismantled a network linking former security personnel and Syrian nationals, accused of training drone operators and preparing operations against Syrian security forces.
Lebanese security services have uncovered a cross-border network alleged to have bridged historical ties to the Assad regime with current preparations for sabotage. The investigation, which spans from 2016 to the present, involves former members of the Internal Security Forces and Syrian nationals. According to official sources, the group allegedly trained individuals in drone usage and prepared operations targeting Syrian security forces in the Bekaa region and northern Lebanon.
The case, detailed in a report by GN auto geopolitics/terrorism: terror plot, highlights the persistent security challenges along the Lebanon-Syria border. Authorities have seized explosive materials and arrested fifteen individuals, including a former Syrian air force officer. The network is suspected of facilitating the movement of trained operatives between Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa, and Syria, raising concerns about the resurgence of armed non-state actors in the region.
Historical Links to Regime Operations
The investigation reveals that the central figure, a former Internal Security Forces officer dismissed in 2016, was previously implicated in kidnapping Syrian military defectors for the Assad regime. Despite his earlier dismissal, he remained active in security circles. Investigators found that he maintained connections with individuals linked to Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs, who provided logistical and financial support for the network’s activities. This continuity suggests that old networks have been repurposed for new strategic objectives.
Drone Training and Operational Reach
Telecommunications analysis and detainee confessions indicate that the network focused on training operatives in drone technology. Individuals were allegedly handed over to a figure known as “Hajj Samer” in the Bekaa for specialized instruction before being sent to Syria. The group’s reach extended to the northern city of Tripoli, where a young Syrian man was arrested alongside the former officer. Syrian authorities have also detained three armed men whose photos were found on the phones of Lebanese suspects, confirming the cross-border nature of the training.
Judicial Proceedings and Evidence
The case has been referred to the Military Public Prosecution, with Judge Claude Ghanem charging fifteen people with offenses related to terrorist acts and the preparation of explosive devices. During raids, grenades and other materials were seized, and a State Security member, brother to the dismissed officer, was arrested for aiding in weapons transport. Although the suspect admitted to disposing of weapons in the Nahr al-Kabir River, divers have not yet recovered them, leaving a gap in the physical evidence trail.
