Saqr Charges 2 from al-Meqdad Clan, Another Lebanese with Forming Armed Group

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Thursday Maher and Hassan al-Meqdad and another Lebanese man with forming an armed group to carry out terrorist activities.

Saqr referred the al-Meqdad men and Tarek Sultan to Military Tribunal Judge Imad al-Zein, requesting arrest warrants to detain them.

The three men were also charged with kidnapping and terrorizing people with the force of arms, responding violently to security forces and the ownership of unlicensed weapons and explosives.

The number of al-Meqdad family members charged so far has reached eight after six other clan members were charged on Tuesday along with several Syrians.

The Army has lately arrested several al-Meqdad family members, including the clan's spokesman Maher, during raids on Beirut's southern suburbs and other areas.

The raids came after the clan went on an abduction spree of Syrians and Turkish nationals to avenge the kidnapping of family member Hassan al-Meqdad in Damascus last month.

Since then, the clan has freed the Turkish businessman, Tekin Tufan, and several other Syrians.