The Lebanese Army’s Intelligence Directorate on Thursday and Friday (September 15th) arrested 22 individuals in northern Lebanon for communicating with a terror element, local media reported.
A "terrorist act" that was reportedly in the works was foiled, local media said, and several arrests were made in connection with it.
The arrests further consolidate confidence in the directorate’s pre-emptive security capabilities, officials said.
"We have full faith in the Lebanese army’s command and its attention to preventive security following their recent victory against 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria' (ISIS) terrorists in Operation Fajr al-Juroud in al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek," said Environment Minister Tarek al-Khatib.
"We salute the Lebanese army and call for dealing with events without sparking any panic among citizens," he told Al-Mashareq.
The army’s Guidance Directorate issued a statement on Saturday addressing rumours about security threats in Lebanon.
"Some social media channels are circulating rumours about security threats from potential terrorist acts that may target commercial and tourist facilities and residential areas," the statement said.
"The army’s command would like to confirm that the security situation is stable," it said, stressing that "the Intelligence Directorate carries out pre-emptive operations on a continuous basis to dismantle terror cells".
