Hizbullah Boosts Security after Iranian Embassy Blasts, Fears New Wave of Suicide Attacks
Hizbullah's leadership held a high-level security meeting to determine new exceptional measures over the possibility of new wave of suicide bombings as the matter was in the party's consideration after the recent attacks on its stronghold in southern Beirut suburbs.
“We have entered a new stage that we consider dangerous,” a senior Hizbullah official said in comment published in al-Joumhouria newspaper on Wednesday.
The official said that Hizbullah has taken new exceptional measures amid the rising attacks in the party's stronghold.
“We received the message and it's clear and we know those who are behind it.” the official said, stressing that the attacks will not change Hizbullah's stance but “will make us insist on holding on to it.”
The source expressed fear that the suicidal attacks would directly target the party's centers or random Shiite venues like in Iraq.
“We have exerted efforts recently to prevent explosive-laden vehicles from entering Dahiyeh but suicide attacks are more hard to contain,” the official added.
At least 23 people were killed and 150 wounded in twin suicide blasts that targeted the Iranian Embassy in the Hizbullah stronghold of Bir Hassan on Tuesday.
The powerful explosions just opposite the multi-storey embassy caused chaos, ripping the facades off nearby buildings and setting cars ablaze.
They come after two other bomb attacks this year in the southern suburbs of Beirut that are the bastion of Hizbullah.
The group, which is sponsored by Iran, has drawn controversy for sending thousands of fighters to support the regime of Syria's President Bashar Assad as he battles a 32-month-old uprising.
A minister close to Hizbullah, speaking on condition of anonymity, told An Nahar newspaper that the party didn't exclude the possibility of suicide attacks after the bombing that targeted Rweis.
“After the twin suicide blasts near the Iranian Embassy, Lebanon entered a new level...” the minister said.
The minister stressed that the party is mulling ways to confront this new trend of attacks.
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