Would-Be Suicide Bombers Arrested, FlyCam Equipped with Explosives Confiscated

The General Security and the Army Intelligence were able to arrest two would-be suicide bombers who had plans to blow themselves up at two religious locations in the southern suburbs of Beirut, As Safir daily reported on Friday.

One of the bombers was arrested by the General Security on October 5 at the Cola area in Beirut. During investigation, he confessed that he had been preparing to blow himself up within two days (Friday, October 7) inside one of the biggest mosques in Dahiyeh during Friday prayers, according to the daily.

The Army Intelligence arrested the second would-be suicide bomber.

It was clear to the investigators that the handler of the two would-be suicide bombers was the same person -- an Islamic State "emir" in Syria's Raqa city -- and that he dispatched them at the same interval.

However the would-be bombers had no contact with each other, although they received the orders from the same handler, added As Safir.

At the same time, it was revealed that two groups provided the culprits with logistical support. They secured their transportation means and residence in Lebanon until the date of bombing.

Moreover, on Thursday at dawn, the General Security arrested in the area of Bhamdoun a group of eight people inside a warehouse that contained explosives and ammunition.

The warehouse belonged to a man who swore allegiance to the al-Nusra Front and who acted like a weapons trader.

He opted for selling ammunition and weapons to relatively every terrorist organization, said As Safir. The patrol found explosives and a FlyCam capable of carrying a small bomb.

The warehouse owner confessed during interrogation that he was selling explosives to several terrorist organizations, including the IS.

“If only you came yesterday, you would have found six FlyCams equipped with explosive materials,” five of which were sold to al-Nusra, he said.

Lebanon has been struck by several deadly bombings since the conflict in neighboring Syria erupted in 2011.

In June, eight suicide bombers, some of them linked to the Islamic State jihadist group, attacked al-Qaa village near the Syrian border, killing five civilians.