Beirut: Lebanese president Joseph Aoun was informed on Wednesday by King Abdallah of Jordan of the results of the survey on a cell manufacturing unit discovered in Jordan. Two members of this cell had been sent to Lebanon to undergo training.
According to his press office, Aoun expressed the “full disposition of Lebanon to coordination and cooperation” between the two countries and has responsible the minister of Justice Adel Nassar to work with his Jordanian counterpart, in cooperation with the security and judicial agencies, on investigations and the exchange of information.
A judicial source told Arab news that the Lebanese army intelligence services “closely followed the case of the terrorist cell and we do not yet know if Lebanese are involved”.
“This agency asked Jordan to provide her with information about investigations, to rely on Lebanese surveys and, in the event that a Lebanese involvement is proven, the case is then referred to Lebanese justice,” said this person.
At the same time, the Lebanese army intelligence services said they had arrested two Palestinians in the city of Sidon, in the south of the country, for “trade and smuggling of military weapons across the Lebano-Syrian border, and have seized several military weapons and ammunition in their possession”.
The army command said that the detainees were investigated under the supervision of the judiciary.
The media reported that the two men were members of the Hamas movement security apparatus in Sidon.
No official security agency has confirmed the existence of a link between arrests and the Jordanian cell.
On Tuesday, the Jordanian news agency cited managers of the intelligence services who said that “a series of conspiracies aimed at the country’s national security have been thwarted and 16 people suspected of preparing chaos and sabotage acts were arrested”.
The plans provided for the production of missiles using local materials and imported components. Explosives and firearms have been discovered, as well as a concealed missile ready to be used.
The 16 suspects are suspected of having participated in the development of drones, of having recruited and trained individuals at the national level and of having sent others abroad so that they continue their training there.
According to the statements of the suspects, two members of the cell-Abdallah Hicham and Muath al-Ghanem-were sent to Lebanon to coordinate their activities with an important figure of the organization and receive training.
In December, the Lebanese army launched a process of disarmament of the Palestinian factions located outside the Palestinian refugee camps. These factions, faithful to the old Syrian regime, were mainly based in the Békaa region, along the border with Syria, and in the southern region.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has expressed “the entire solidarity of Lebanon with Jordan in the fight against conspiracies that threaten its security and stability” and “desire to cooperate with the Jordanian authorities if necessary concerning the information that certain people involved in these plots received training in Lebanon”, according to his press office.
During the launch of the Beirut airport Road Rehabilitation Project, Salam said that airport road safety issues were “in the course of examination with Defense Minister Michel Menassa and Interior Minister Ahmed Hajjar”.
In the past 48 hours, the municipality of Beirut has made efforts to withdraw from the capital from the capital the flags of the parties and the images of politicians and party leaders, in particular those associated with Hezbollah.
This text is the translation of an article published on ArabNews.com
