Lebanese Interior Minister Nohad al-Mashnouq confirmed Tuesday (June 6th) that Lebanon's security agencies had foiled an "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) plot to blow up a restaurant in Beirut's southern suburbs during Ramadan, Lebanon’s Naharnet reported.
Al-Mashnouq offered the confirmation during a meeting with British Ambassador Hugo Shorter, during which he offered condolences for the victims of the group’s London attack.
"A successful pre-emptive operation has thwarted a bombing that terrorists were preparing for Beirut's southern suburbs," al-Mashnouq said.
The operation involved co-operation between General Security and the Intelligence Branch of the Internal Security Forces, he said.
"This is proof of the high professionalism of the Lebanese security agencies and the importance of co-operation and co-ordination among the various security agencies," al-Mashnouq added.
Al-Akhbar newspaper had reported Tuesday that the two agencies had "dismantled an ISIS-linked cell that had been plotting to stage a suicide attack on a restaurant at iftar time".
"One [suspect] was arrested at al-Rabih Project in Tariq al-Jdideh on Thursday night, while another suspect was arrested in Sidon," al-Akhbar said.
"A suicide vest that one of the would-be bombers had intended to use was seized" at the al-Rabih Project, the daily added.
According to the detainees' confessions, one of them had intended to blow himself up in the restaurant, while the two others were involved in planning.
"They were receiving their orders from an al-Raqa-based ISIS leader through an Ain el-Hilweh intermediary," al-Akhbar said.
