Salafi Cell Allegedly Targeted Lebanese Army Barracks

"... It also alluded to a serious incident that the army has been keen to keep under wraps. Military intelligence allegedly discovered a Salafi cell that included in its ranks two Lebanese soldiers, who were helping it plan to bomb barracks and army units.

According to sources, the cell had seven members. In addition to the soldiers, who are both non-commissioned officers (NCOs). It included four Lebanese men who belong to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Abdallah Azzam Brigades. The cell’s seventh member and leader is a wanted Palestinian fugitive named Abu-Muhammad Tawfiq Taha, who lives in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp and is in charge of the brigades there.

The story based on the army source is the following:

A force from the army’s intelligence directorate raided the places where the six cell members were staying in early March and arrested them within hours of each other. The two soldiers were lured into a trap after being led to believe that they were above suspicion. The remaining four were arrested in Akkar and Tripoli, north Lebanon.

During interrogations, the six members admitted their involvement in a plan to bomb army barracks. They said the two soldiers were planning to meet their main go-between with the cell, Taha’s assistant R.T., while they were on leave.

The two NCOs said their involvement was not motivated by financial gain, but their belief in Salafi and jihadi religious doctrine.

The two NCOs confessed that their recruitment did not take long because they had previously known other members of the cell. They viewed the Lebanese army as an “infidel” organization and admitted to being associated with the Abdallah Azzam Brigades.

One of them disclosed that he was waiting for a security lapse at his base to smuggle explosives in and launch an attack.

After being interrogated for a number of days at the intelligence directorate, the six detainees were referred to the military court. ..."