4 Asir Supporters Held in Connection with Botched Costa Attack
Four supporters of detained Islamist cleric Ahmed al-Asir were arrested Monday in the southern city of Sidon in connection with Saturday's botched suicide attack on Hamra's Costa cafe, state-run National News Agency reported.
“An army intelligence force raided several locations in the city of Sidon and its suburbs this afternoon,” NNA said, adding that four Asir sympathizers were arrested in the crackdown.
It identified them as Mohammed M. (owner of a car repair shop in the al-Hesbeh area), Marwan H. (hairdresser in the Taamir Ain el-Hilweh area), Mohammed D. (owner of a juice shop in the Zaroub al-Njasa area, and Hilal A.
“The arrests are linked to the investigations into the Costa incident,” the agency added.
Two brothers and two relatives of the Costa would-be suicide bomber, Omar al-Assi, were arrested Sunday at his family home in Sidon.
According to media reports, Assi had been injured during a 2013 Sidon gunfight between Asir's group and the Hizbullah-affiliated Resistance Brigades. He later became affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group which ordered him to carry out Saturday's failed attack.
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