- 19:30
Lebanese authorities have stepped up security measures following reports from Al Jazeera that groups loyal to the former Syrian regime may be preparing military operations against Syria’s current government from Lebanese territory.
Sources say the issue is a top priority for Lebanese security agencies, particularly military intelligence. The northern branch is closely monitoring reports of an operations room in Al-Hayseh, a predominantly Alawite town.
A committee has been formed within the Intelligence Directorate to oversee the situation, given the potential risks to Lebanese-Syrian relations, which are already fragile and cannot withstand further tension.
Al Jazeera’s reports on pro-Assad activity in northern Lebanon have also raised alarm among local Sunni groups, particularly in Tripoli. Ziad Allouki, a former leader of factions involved in clashes between the Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and the Sunni district of Bab al-Tabbaneh, warned that such movements must be closely monitored by the Lebanese army and that those involved should be detained. He added that these activities could spark sectarian tensions.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s political leadership appears to be taking action. Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Metri urged authorities to verify the reports and, if confirmed, take all necessary measures to prevent any escalation. Sources monitoring the situation expect the matter to be discussed in the first Cabinet session.
Lebanon has repeatedly received warnings from Syrian authorities about the presence of Assad regime loyalists on its soil. The issue has been raised in discussions between Syrian and Lebanese security officials, particularly after Bassam Al-Hassan appeared in Beirut. Al-Hassan was implicated in the disappearance of journalist Austin Tice in Syria. Concerns intensified following the killing of Ghassan Al-Sukhni in Kfar Yassin, the leader of a Syrian militia reportedly supported by the Fourth Division under Maher Al-Assad.
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