Army Arrests Suspect in Deadly 2009 Attack on Military, Kidnappings

The Lebanese army said Wednesday it arrested a man wanted for a deadly attack in 2009 on the military and the recent kidnappings of several individuals in return for ransom.

The army command said in a communique that Ali Mohammed Hassan al-Masri was arrested on Tuesday night in eastern Lebanon's Ras Baalbek.

Al-Masri is wanted for planning an attack on an army vehicle on the Riyaq-Baalbek road that left four soldiers dead and an officer wounded on April 13, 2009, it said.

The suspect is also linked to several kidnappings that have taken place lately and was involved in the robbery of a Credit Libanais bank branch in the eastern city of Zahle on June 6, 2001, the communique said.

Al-Masri had been previously jailed for eight years for drug trafficking and running a gang of women that smuggle vehicles from Syria to Lebanon, it added.

The communique came after the state-run National News Agency and Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) reported that an army unit seized al-Masri and a second suspect identified as Ali Nizar Ajam.

While NNA said both men were wanted on kidnapping and army assault charges, the radio station said they were involved in the recent abduction of wealthy businessmen or their relatives.

In remarks to VDL, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel revealed that several suspects have been arrested. However, he did not specify.

He stressed that several gangs were involved in the kidnappings and that the majority of abductors were Lebanese.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese army carried out raids on apartment buildings in Beirut's Cite Sportive and Tariq al-Jadideh areas thought to be the hideouts of those involved in the recent kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy.

An Nahar newspaper said Wednesday that the raids came against the backdrop of the arrest by the army intelligence of two suspects involved in the abduction of Mohammed Awada.

The school boy, who was kidnapped near his house in Beirut’s Ramlet al-Baida area as he was waiting for the bus to go to school, was released five days after his abduction following the payment of ransom by his family.

According to An Nahar, most members of his kidnapping gang are Palestinians.