Alwaght- The Lebanese army foiled two terrorist plots planned by the ISIS terrorist group to attack a tourist site and a crowded residential area.
In a statement released on Thursday, Lebanon’s army said that the Intelligence Directorate thwarted two major terrorist operations planned by ISIS Takfiris.
"The targeting a large tourist facility and second targeting a densely populated area," the statement said, according to National News Agency.
"Five terrorists have been arrested, on top of them the mastermind behind the operations," the statement said, adding that the terrorists confessed to carrying out terrorist acts against the army in the past."
The army command added that investigations were underway under the supervision of the competent court.
Local media reported that the two attacks were thwarted over a month ago but were not announced so as not to cause panic.
Voice of Lebanon Radio (100.5) said the operations targeted Casino du Liban in the Jounieh area of Maameltein and City Center Mall in the eastern Beirut suburb of Hazmieh.
The suspects, according to the military statement, admitted to carrying out "terror acts against the army."
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said Wednesday that security agencies have information about 10 imminent terrorist attacks.
“There is great diversity in the targets of the terrorist groups,” he told Al-Jadeed TV. “There are 10 potential targets according to investigations, none of which include malls or resorts.”
The army's announcement comes on the wake of a series of suicide bombings in the country’s northeastern border village of Al-Qaa Monday, which killed five people and wounded 30.
Meanwhile, due to security concerns, Hezbollah decided to cancel Al-Quds Day public ceremony which was scheduled to be held on Friday in Beirut's Southern Suburb, the party said in a statement.
The statement added that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah is going to deliver a televised speech on Friday, July1, at 17:30 (Beirut Time).
