Report: Jihadist Recruiter Arrested in Northern Lebanon
Lebanese security forces have arrested a Lebanese man in the North on suspicion of recruiting scores of fighters and sending to Syria via Turkey, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Monday.
The daily quoted political sources as saying that the man has admitted to contacting several fighters via Twitter and sending them to Turkey through Tripoli's port.
The fighters would then move to Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State extremist group, the sources said.
The report came a few days after after highly-informed security officials said around 20 Lebanese fighters from Tripoli and other areas in the North have lately traveled to Syria to join the IS.
The officials, who were not identified, told As Safir newspaper that the fighters headed to Syria via Turkey in the past weeks.
The majority of the young men, whose ages range between 19 and 22, are students and traveled to Turkey under the excuse of going there for tourism, the officials said.
According to al-Hayat, the Lebanese man, who is now in custody, has been able to recruit around 100 fighters, against whom search and arrest warrants heave been issued.
The newspaper also said that security forces have recently arrested a telecommunications engineer at Rafik Hariri International Airport who was traveling with his family to Turkey to join IS.
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