Report: ISIL to Appoint Asir as Emir of Lebanon after Declaring Lebanon Emirate

Fugitive Salafist cleric Ahmed al-Asir will be appointed as the Emir of Lebanon by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a report published in al-Joumhouria newspaper said on Wednesday.

The daily said that ISIL will “soon” proclaim the establishment of an Islamic Emirate in Lebanon and appoint Asir as its head.

According to the newspaper, the extremist group is planning for military and security operations in Lebanon and reevaluating its stances.

ISIL reportedly asked for backup from jihadists in northern Syria to help it in achieving its goals in Lebanon.

Asir has been allegedly taking refuge at the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh since 2013 when his group engaged in bloody clashes with the Lebanese army in the southern city of Sidon.

Sidon’s clashes were seen to be linked to the conflict in Syria, and have resulted in the death of at least 16 troops.

Judicial authorities have issued a detention order for Asir and 123 of his supporters, including Singer turned fugitive Islamist Fadel Shaker, whose brother was killed in the clashes with the army in Sidon.

Jihadists from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and ISIL are entrenched on the outskirts of the eastern border town of Arsal on the porous Syrian-Lebanese border.

They engaged in a bloody fighting with the Lebanese army in August and took with them hostages from the military and police.

H.K.

G.K.