1 Dead, 8 Held as Army Foils Delivery of Arms to 'Extremists' in Ain Zhalta

Army troops have thwarted an attempt to deliver arms to “extremists” in the Shouf area of Ain Zhalta, the Army Command said in a communique on Sunday.

A gunman was killed and eight others were arrested, while a soldier and a member of the armed group were wounded, said the communique.

"After the Intelligence Directorate obtained information that a number of individuals were preparing to smuggle weapons to extremist groups, an army unit thwarted the delivery of arms in the Ain Zhalta area, where the gunmen were caught red-handed shortly after midnight on April 7, 2013,” the Army Command explained.

The gunmen "opened fire on the patrol, prompting its members to fire back," it added.

"The gunman Ghassan al-Zohor was killed, the gunman Mohammed Serhan and a soldier were wounded, seven gunmen were arrested while a military vehicle was damaged," the communique said.

The seized cache of arms contained "heavy-, medium- and light-caliber weapons and a large quantity of ammunition of various types," the Army Command added.

It said the eight detainees were being interrogated under the supervision of the relevant judicial authorities.