Army Raids Bourj al-Barajneh Refugee Gatherings as Yassine's Plots Unveiled

Army troops carried out raids Friday at a number of Syrian refugee gatherings in the Beirut southern suburb of Bourj al-Barajneh, state-run National News Agency reported.

The soldiers raided areas in the Ain al-Sikkeh and Baajour neighborhoods which are adjacent to the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, NNA said.

“Several people were arrested for not carrying identification papers,” the agency added.

Troops also checked the IDs of passersby in the area.

The crackdown comes a day after the army managed to arrest a dangerous Islamic State militant, Imad Yassine, in an unprecedented, special operation in the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the South.

According to media reports, Yassine was coordinating with the IS leadership in Iraq to stage major “Iraq-like bombings” across Lebanon.

An army statement issued Thursday said Yassine had been plotting to stage bomb attacks against “army posts, vital and touristic facilities, shopping centers, popular gatherings and residential areas in several Lebanese regions.”

As Safir newspaper reported Friday that Yassine's bank of targets had included Casino du Liban, downtown Beirut, the Central Bank, the power generation plants in Jiyeh and al-Zahrani, Nabatiyeh's “Monday Market”, UNIFIL forces in the South, KFC outlets in Dbaye, army patrols and posts, in addition to firing rockets at Israel in a bid to ignite the southern front.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper meanwhile reported that Yassine had been plotting to assassinate political figures in Sidon and Beirut, including Speaker Nabih Berri.