Details Unfold on Asir as Questioning Continues
The General Security continued on Tuesday to question Ahmed al-Asir as the investigation with him allegedly revealed that he had broken his ties with Fadel Shaker, a once-prominent Lebanese singer-turned Salafist.
Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr told al-Joumhouria daily that the questioning of al-Asir, who was arrested at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport over the weekend, could last till Wednesday before his referral to the military tribunal or to the army intelligence for further investigation if needed.
According to As Safir newspaper, al-Asir told investigators that he hid in a neighborhood at the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh after escaping from the Bilal bin Rabbah Mosque in Abra, a suburb of the southern city of Sidon, in 2013.
Shaker, who had teamed up with al-Asir, was also hiding in the same neighborhood. But the detainee said that he broke his ties with him after the former singer contacted security agencies.
Shaker allegedly sent messages to the agencies, claiming that he had not been involved in the clashes between al-Asir's supporters and the Lebanese army and asking for guarantees before handing himself over to the authorities.
Abra was turned into a battle zone in June 2013 when al-Asir's followers engaged in deadly battles with the military following an attack on an army checkpoint.
The army seized his headquarters after 48 hours of clashes that killed 18 soldiers, but al-Asir was able to escape with Shaker and several other followers.
The cleric was arrested at the airport on Saturday. He was holding a fake Palestinian passport and trying to flee to Nigeria via Cairo.
According to al-Akhbar newspaper, al-Asir told investigators that his supporters had not opened fire on the army checkpoint, accusing the Hizbullah-linked Resistance Bridades of inciting the battles.
Al-Akhbar also said the anti-Hizbullah cleric claimed that he had moved to northern Lebanon in the trunk of a car and had stayed at the residences of Sheikhs Salem al-Rafehi and Khaled Hoblos.
He later returned to Ain el-Hilweh and tried in vain to join militants in Syria and to travel to Turkey.
Al-Asir's confessions have led to the arrest of several individuals linked to him.
But General Security said in a statement on Tuesday that reports about details on Asir's arrest and his confessions are not true.
It hoped the media would put the nation's interest before any other interest to facilitate its work.
G.K.
D.A.
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