Report: Lebanon Steps Up Security after 'Risk Reports'

After threats of “heightened security risk” issued by foreign embassies in Beirut, reports said on Saturday that the security apparatuses have taken the latest “threats seriously” and have stepped up safety measures to prevent any breach, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday.

“The security situation is acceptable and under control. The army has upped its readiness against terrorism after the battles in the outskirts. It has recently stepped up its security presence and the intelligence directorate together with the other security services are working at full capacity in the pursuit of terrorist cells,” an unnamed military source told the daily.

Another senior military source told the newspaper that “information was obtained about a large Islamic State group network planning to carry out terrorist bombings against commercial centers and tourist facilities. Cooperation is being conducted between the Lebanese, American, British and other international agencies in order to eliminate these threats.

The source assured that the network was rendered "inactive."

He assured that "nothing calls for fear and panic because the security services are alert and security measures are high," adding that "caution is required."

On Friday, the French Embassy in Beirut warned its citizens of a "high risk of attacks on public places, special vigilance must be observed within the next 48 hours,” it said in a statement.

The warning follows a security message for U.S. citizens in Lebanon in which the U.S. Embassy said that it has barred the movement of U.S. government staff to the Casino Du Liban in Jounieh due to “ongoing threats.”

On Friday, the Army announced in a communique that it arrested an IS cell comprised of 19 members in the southern refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh.

"The network's commander, Fadi Ibrahim Ahmed, aka Abu Khattab, who was on the hide in said camp had plans to stage terror attacks," the army had said.