Mashnouq Says Situation 'Very Fragile,' Investigators Track 2 Suspected Suicide Trucks

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said the security situation in the country is “very fragile” as officials warned that terrorists are plotting attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs and on a security base using explosives-laden trucks.

In remarks to As Safir daily published on Tuesday, al-Mashnouq said the army and security agencies – Internal Security Forces and General Security – are doing an excellent “coordination” work.

“All factions, without any exception, are in danger,” he said, adding “there is an open war on terrorism and all Lebanese should confront it.”

Asked how security apparatuses would confront suspected suicide bombers, al-Mashnouq said: “We don't have any choice but to consolidate intelligence gathering.”

He told the newspaper that preparations are underway to implement a security plan in Beirut after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Beirut's southern suburbs are not part of the plan because the area, a Hizbullah stronghold, is part of the defense strategy, which hasn't been adopted during national dialogue talks.

“We could discuss the issue in Dahieh when we talk about the strategy,” he said.

Meanwhile, As Safir quoted security sources as saying that wiretapping and the analysis of telecommunications data led to a conclusion that suspected terrorists are plotting an attack in Dahieh and another assault on an official security base using two small trucks loaded with explosives.

Efforts are underway to identify the suspected drivers of the trucks to arrest them before they carry out the attacks.

Last Wednesday, a Saudi suicide bomber blew himself up at Duroy Hotel in Beirut during a security raid. It was the third suicide bombing in Lebanon in less than a week.

Wednesday's attack was claimed by the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Previous bombings were claimed by the al-Qaida-linked group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

They have warned that such attacks will continue as long as Hizbullah takes part in Syria's civil war alongside Syrian President Bahsar Assad's troops.

G.K.

H.K.