Report: Intelligence Directorate Rearrests Sheikh al-Tarras

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Hani al-Hajjar has given the orders to rearrest Sheikh Bassam al-Tarras, who was briefly held and then released before Eid al-Adha, in the case of the Ksara bombing that rocked the city of Zahle in August, al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday.

In September, the General Security held Sheikh al-Tarras in accusations of meeting Islamic State members and the attack's mastermind during a visit to Turkey.

Last month, the General Security busted a terrorist cell that comprises Lebanese and Syrian nationals was receiving instructions and logistic support from the Turkey-based Lebanese fugitive Mohammed Qassem al-Ahmed, aka Abou al-Baraa.

Abou al-Baraa's real identity was unveiled by Tarras during interrogation.

Tarras had met in “Turkey's Lares area with Abou al-Baraa, the Lebanese A. M. Gh. who is currently in custody, and the Turkey-based Lebanese national B. A. Kh, a General Security statement had said.

The four men held their meeting in an apartment owned by the Syrian M. H. R., aka Abou Alaa, who is wanted in several terror cases.

The busted cell was operating in the Bekaa region and its activities involved recruiting members for Syria-based terrorist groups, providing bomb-making material, and surveilling Lebanese regions with the aim of staging bomb attacks.

According to General Security, the cell was behind the August 31 Zahle bombing as well as the explosive device that was discovered on the Saadnayel-Zahle road on May 6.