ANSD : Lebanon: Militant blows himself up after deadly shootout

FRI 22 - 11 - 2024

Date: Jun 4, 2019
Source: The Daily Star

Lebanon: Militant blows himself up after deadly shootout

_{Joseph Haboush| The Daily Star}
BEIRUT: A militant who opened fire at security forces on the eve of Eid al-Fitr late Monday night in Tripoli blew himself up after a pursuit and shootout with soldiers and police, an eyewitness told The Daily Star.

Abdel-Rahman Mabsout, an Islamist who fought with Daesh (ISIS) in Syria and served time in Lebanese prison in 2016, killed one Internal Security Forces officer and two Lebanese Army soldiers, Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab told news channel LBCI.

The hourslong ordeal began at about 11 p.m. when Mabsout opened fire at the Central Bank in Tripoli and another post of the ISF at the Tripoli Serail, a statement from the Army said.

At around 11:30 p.m., local media reported that the militant was on a motorcycle alone as he fired at the different targets.

“In addition [to these posts], a unit of the Army came under attack, which led to the martyrdom of a soldier and injured others,” the statement said.
“One soldier and another ISF member were martyred, while a third ISF member is in critical condition,” an Army source later told The Daily Star.

Soon after the Army deployed in search for the suspect, an eyewitness and neighbor told The Daily Star that Mabsout began shooting from the roof of a building he had hid out in before going inside.

As the eyewitness was speaking to The Daily Star by phone, heavy gunfire and explosions could be heard in the background.

A statement from the Army later said that Mabsout, who was strapped with an explosive belt, blew himself up as he was cornered by security forces that raided the building.

The statement said no one else was injured when he blew himself up.

Mabsout was arrested by Lebanese security forces in 2016 and released from Roumieh Prison in late 2017.

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