Reports: Hariri Assassination Bid Foiled Several Days Ago

An attempt to assassinate resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri was foiled several days ago, Al-Arabiya television reported on Saturday.

“The plotters disabled the ‘watchtowers’ during the movements of his convoy,” Al-Arabiya quoted unnamed sources as saying.

Announcing his shock resignation earlier in the day, Hariri said Lebanon is living "an atmosphere similar to the one that preceded the assassination of the martyr Rafik Hariri."

"I have sensed covert plots to target my life," Hariri added.

The Internal Security Forces later issued a statement distancing itself from unconfirmed media reports about the alleged plot.

"As for what is being circulated through media outlets, social networking websites and news websites about an attempt to assassinate PM Saad Hariri that was foiled by the ISF Intelligence Branch, the ISF Directorate General clarifies that neither it nor the Intelligence Branch are the source of the circulated reports," the ISF said.

"Therefore, it is not the source of these reports and it does not have any information about that," the ISF added.