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Lebanon: Arrested Terrorist Atrash Confessed to Smuggling Weapons to Arsal, Joining ISIL

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The Lebanese Army Command on Tuesday issued a communique saying that the wanted terrorist Ibrahim Al-Atrash that was arrested by the military due to affiliation to terrorist organizations, has confessed to the execution of many terrorist operations, including arms smuggling and joining a takfiri group.

“The investigation revealed that Atrash started in 2011 trading in weapons and war munitions, as well as transporting them – along with other people – to Arsal from Syria and vice versa, in favor of a terrorist organization,” the army statement said.

“Following his arrest by the Intelligence Directorate in 2012, and after he completed his jail sentence, Atrash resumed communication with terrorist organizations and swore allegiance to the “Jond Al-Haq” brigades,” it added.

The army elaborated that Atrash then established a terrorist group to rig cars, with the help of Abu Jaafar the Qastalian (commander of Al-Qasatal martyrs battalion) who coordinated with him buying cars, booby-trapping them, and sending them to Syria and Lebanon, including a GMC-type vehicle that was ready for detonation in Al-Bazaliah but was exploded before time and killed Omar al-Atrash and Samer Al-Hujairi, and another Grand Cherokee-type vehicle that was ready for detonation in the southern suburbs but was caught by the army.

“However, he completed booby-trapping the other cars, and handed them to other operatives and did not know their fate,” the army said.

According to the statement, Atrash “confessed to his participation in the fighting with the ‘Jond al-Haq’ battalion under the leadership of Abu Malik Al-Talli, and after pledging allegiance to ISIL organization, he moved with his group to the Syrian city of Al-Raqqa, where he met ISIL leaders.”

“After his return to Lebanon, he participated in fighting against the army in Arsal and in the attack on the army’s Masyada center, and investigations are still ongoing with him to reveal his involvement in other terrorist cases,” the statement concluded.

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