Following the announcement by "Hezbollah" about thwarting a terrorist attack in the Hay al-Sallum area of the southern suburb, where its "Protection Unit" conducted a security raid looking for a Syrian individual linked to ISIS who is accused of being involved in preparing for recent bombings in Sayyidah Zaynab, Syria, videos of the raid spread across social media. Are there dormant cells in Lebanon?
Military sources confirmed to the "Central News" that there is no "ISIS threat" in the conventional sense, similar to executing terrorist operations in Lebanon like those that spread during the past decade. However, this does not rule out the possibility of their existence or a resurgence of dormant cells at any moment if circumstances align with the interests of those who manipulate the organization. It was revealed that since five months ago, thirty individuals linked to ISIS have been arrested in Lebanon, in various areas to the north, Baalbek, and the south, including a significant number who participated in the war against the army in Arsal. It was assured that these individuals were arrested successively and in several stages, and investigations have shown that none of them had confirmed terrorist plans or were seeking to carry out operations they were assigned with.
The sources indicated that the Army Intelligence Directorate had received reports regarding the entry of Wissam Dallah into Lebanon some time ago, but they were unable to pinpoint his location until it was later revealed during the party's raid that he was in Hay al-Sallum, living with his brother-in-law and some relatives.
The agency adds: "Moreover, Western diplomatic circles did not hide their astonishment at the party's behavior as if it were the state, disregarding the security agencies and intelligence services that should be responsible for executing similar raids and arresting terrorists. It seems that it has started to handle security files as it pleases without coordination with the security agencies, limiting its coordination to Syrian security, which is a dangerous matter that should not be overlooked. They questioned why the party did not provide its security information to the Army Intelligence Directorate to raid the 'ISIS' member, if he was indeed such, and support the patrol if necessary, thus keeping the operation under the cover of legitimacy."
It continued: "The party is attempting, as these circles believe, to revive the ISIS threat to use it as a pretext to distract the Lebanese populace and its restless environment from the accusations recently directed against it, from Ain Ebel to Kahaleh and other incidents that have permeated the Lebanese scene, with the party being behind them. It uses this like the 'Rajeh Story' to shift the focus of the Lebanese onto the ISIS threat instead of attacking Hezbollah, which has become exposed and embarrassed before its environment due to its overbearing practices."
