Report: Army Detains Soldiers who Sold Weapons to Syrian Opposition

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

The Lebanese army has exposed soldiers who breached its security by stealing arms from its warehouses and selling them to weapons dealers who in their turn smuggled the equipment to the rebel Free Syrian Army, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.

The army intelligence branch arrested Officer Kh. H. from the town of Arsal in the eastern Bekaa valley, who worked as a guard at a warehouse belonging to the army’s eighth battalion.

According to the report, he was arrested after being allegedly involved in stealing a number of arms and ammunition from the battalion’s warehouse and selling them.

It added that the army intelligence detained another officer from the same battalion for covering up for his colleague.

The army launched a probe in the matter which revealed a third suspect from the logistic brigade, who allegedly stole arms and ammunition confiscated by the army.

The report said that over 90 machine guns were missing from the eighth battalion and a large quantity of ammunition.

The army intelligence detained more than 10 people mostly from the Bekaa area and Tariq al-Jedideh, who bought the arms and transferred them into the Bekaa where they were later smuggled to Syria to aid the Syrian opposition.

Security sources told al-Akhbar that most of those who were detained in the case were referred to the military court for investigation.

The sources stressed that the army will not tolerate any person proved to be an accomplice in targeting the military institution and the national security.

In March, the army discovered an al-Qaida- takfiri network headed by Abu Mohammed Toufic Taha, which planned attacks on its bases.

Taha is reportedly present at Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.

Comments 1
Default-user-icon hizbalkizb (Guest) 10 April 2012, 12:12

Don't steal the Armies weapons, simply return hizbalkizb weapons to their Syrian owners