Beirut 'terrorist cell' plotted day of attacks mirroring shock of Israel’s pager assault, security sources say

Arrests come as Lebanon is under pressure to include Hezbollah’s disarmament in its official government agenda as soon as possible

Lebanese soldiers stand guard in central Beirut. The country has previously experienced attacks during religious events. EPA

Members of a “terrorist cell” arrested in Beirut were plotting a day of attacks on the Shiite community in the Lebanese capital during Ashura religious events this weekend, security sources told The National.

The officials, involved in the investigations, said on Tuesday that the six-member cell, mostly Syrians, belonged to an unidentified extremist group that “may be” linked to ISIS.

The arrests come at a critical time for Lebanon, which is under pressure from the US to include Hezbollah’s disarmament in its official government agenda as soon as possible, Lebanese political sources claimed.

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They told The National that Washington is also seeking to link the future of Lebanon and Syria’s relations with Israel, pushing for a form of truce that would fall short of full normalisation, something that could be pursued in the near future.

Lebanon's General Security Directorate first announced the arrests on Monday, saying it had detained a terrorist cell in Beirut that sought to carry out attacks in several areas in the Lebanese capital.

It said that the cell was linked to extremist organisations and planned to launch synchronised attacks. The members had been monitored for several weeks.

“They planned to strike Ashura gatherings across multiple sites in Beirut, aiming to trigger a national shock similar to the one caused by Israel’s pager attacks on Hezbollah and the Shiite community last year,” one security official said on Tuesday.

Hezbollah supporters carry images of the group's former leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in front of the Iranian embassy in Beirut. EPA

“They were planning to attack large gatherings of Shiites during Ashura this weekend,” another security source confirmed. “This is terrifying. Lebanon is highly exposed in terms of security and entering a dangerous phase,” claimed the source.

Israel confirmed last year that it carried out the pager and walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon in September. The simultaneous explosions represented a massive escalation in the conflict with the Lebanese militant group that had been continuing since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

For Shiite Muslims, Ashura marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein bin Ali, the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, along with his family members and loyalists.

Lebanon, a multi-faith country, has previously experienced attacks during religious events by extremist groups and armed militias.

Some political observers suggested that while the reported “terrorist activities” are real, the timing of the announcements may be tied to efforts by certain Lebanese parties to delay the contentious issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament, arguing that the current security climate makes it an inopportune moment.

More arrests expected

On Monday, before the arrests' announcement, a security official in Beirut told The National that Lebanon feared possible attacks by extremist groups following the deadly bombing in neighbouring Syria, where a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people at a Damascus church last month. Syrian authorities blamed ISIS for the attack.

The Lebanese army announced last week the arrest of the suspected leader of ISIS in Lebanon, accusing him of planning attacks.

The man, identified as RF and also known by the alias Qasoura, was captured after a series of surveillance and intelligence efforts by the military’s Intelligence Directorate. Weapons, ammunition and drone-making equipment were seized during the raid, the army said.

“He was educated, a schoolteacher of chemistry with experience in telecommunications and surveillance,” a security source told The National.

Emergency services arrive at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre after the pager attack. EPA

The army described him as a “prominent leader of the terrorist organisation Daesh” and said he had assumed control of the group’s Lebanon branch following the arrests of several senior figures in December, including his predecessor, known as Abu Saeed Al Shami.

According to the security sources, the man's arrest led to the foiling of the cell's plot.

“All of Lebanon’s security branches are now focused on this case, and more arrests are expected soon,” another security source said.

Authorities fear that dormant ISIS and other extremist cells in Lebanon could now be activated in retaliation or as part of a wider plan to destabilise the country amid renewed instability in neighbouring Syria.

Although largely driven underground after a major military defeat in 2017, ISIS and other extremist groups have fought bloody battles with the Lebanese army in the past and carried out bombings against Hezbollah and its supporters.

Now, with Syria’s political landscape shifting after the collapse of the Assad regime last year, Lebanese officials warn that the threat is far from over.