Report: Al-Rashidiyeh Camp Salafists Behind Tyre Bomb Blasts
Salafists based in the Palestinian refugee camp of al-Rashidiyeh might be behind the bombings that targeted a hotel and a liquor store in the southern city of Tyre, An Nahar daily reported Friday.
The newspaper said investigators have found unconfirmed leads that Salafist groups in al-Rashidiyeh could have bombed the Queen Elissa hotel and the shop on Wednesday in an effort to combat the liquor trade in the area.
Voice of Lebanon radio station (100.5) said that the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch has questioned 10 witnesses and stressed that reports about the involvement of Salafists in the bombings are not true.
More than one person participated in the planning for the blasts, VDL said.
A security official has estimated the hotel bomb weighed about 3 kilograms and the explosives used to attack the shop about 1 kilo.
Andrea Tenenti, the deputy spokesman for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, has said "there are no indications whatsoever that UNIFIL was targeted by the explosion."
He said that two U.N. staff members were in the hotel but were not harmed, and that two UNIFIL vehicles were damaged.
Tyre is a predominantly Muslim city and serving alcohol is common at hotels and restaurants.
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