ISF arrests suspect in murder of Jbeil district priest

The Internal Security Forces announced Friday the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Father Samir Daou in the Jbeil district.

“The investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the competent judiciary,” ISF added.

MTV identified the suspect as Arkan al-Naddaf, 22, who hails from the Syrian governorate of Aleppo.

The TV network said a force from the ISF Information Branch raided a building inhabited by around 400 Syrian nationals on the Jbeil-Amchit coastal road at 4:00 AM, where they arrested the suspect, adding that he confessed to the crime during interrogation.

Father Samir Daou had been found murdered inside his summer home in Ain Jrain in the Jbeil district, approximately 24 hours after all contact with him was lost.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi meanwhile strongly condemned the “heinous crime,” saying the priest had dedicated his life to serving God and the Church.

He called upon the competent security and judicial authorities to "follow up on the investigations with all seriousness and firmness, to uncover the circumstances of this crime, reveal its truth, identify those responsible, and bring them to justice, in order to safeguard human dignity, uphold the truth, and put an end to every violation against the sanctity of human life."