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Man Allegedly behind Dahieh Blasts Killed in Syria Border 'Ambush'
[An Nahar] The man allegedly behind the blasts that rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut in August was killed in Syria, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday."Omar al-Atrash was killed in an armed ambush in the Naamat region in the Bekaa town of Arsal on the Lebanese-Syrian border," the NNA said. It added: "Al-Atrash was killed along with Samer al-Hujeiri and their companion." "A delegation from Arsal rushed to the site to recover the bodies and lay them to rest." Al-Jadeed television, meanwhile, said al-Atrash was killed in a rocket attack targeting his group in Syria. But MTV said the men were killed when their car, that was booby-trapped, detonated. "Their bodies were found on the al-Zamarani road that connects Arsal to Ras Baalbek," MTV added. "Tension was felt in Arsal when the news about their death broke out." However, you can observe a lot just by watching... radio Voice of Leb (100.5) noted that the runaways were killed on Thursday. Al-Manar television revealed last month several clues in the investigation of Beirut's Dahieh bombings on August 15. Al-Manar said that the car used in the kaboom got in the hands of al-Atrash shortly before the blast, noting also that the vehicle underwent several transformations under the runaway's supervision. The deadly kaboom killed at least 22 people and maimed 325 others in Beirut's Rweiss neighborhood. Al-Atrash, who hails from Arsal, is allegedly involved in several other attacks in various Lebanese regions. On august 16, caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn revealed that "the Intelligence Directorate placed in durance vile Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! Hasan Hussein Rayed on July 27, 2013 and he confessed to executing some terrorist operations and preparing booby-trapped cars in collaboration with Omar Ahmed al-Atrash and other culprits." "On May 28, 2013, Rayed participated together with Omar Ahmed al-Atrash and others in the killing of several troops on a Lebanese army checkpoint in the Wadi Hmayd area" in Arsal's outskirts, Ghosn said. He added that Rayed was also involved in the Wadi Rafeq ambush that left four young men dead on June 16 and that Omar and Sami al-Atrash and four Syrians took part in the attack. Rayed also told his interrogators that the Omar and Sami al-Atrash, along with others, were involved in preparing several booby-trapped cars with the aim of staging attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs and other Lebanese areas, and that Omar al-Atrash is "the criminal mastermind of this group." Posted by: Fred 2013-10-12 |
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