Skip to main content

Al-Qaeda-affiliated emir arrested in Lebanon

Majid bin Mohammad al-Majid, the emir of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades in the Levant, was arrested by the Lebanese army, and he is hospitalized.
People run after the second blast rocked the Iranian embassy compound in Beirut in this still image taken from a security camera near the embassy, November 19, 2013. Two suicide bombings rocked Iran's embassy compound in Lebanon on November 19, killing at least 23 people including an Iranian cultural attache and hurling bodies and burning wreckage across a debris-strewn street, with at least 146 wounded. Image taken November 19, 2013.     REUTERS/Al Manar via Reuters TV    (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UN

Majid bin Mohammad al-Majid, the emir of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades in the Levant, was undergoing kidney treatment at the Almakased hospital in Beirut, when he suddenly found himself face to face with the Lebanese army. A security source told Al-Monitor that the al-Qaeda-affiliated emir was arrested after Lebanese military intelligence received information that he was about to leave for an unknown destination.

“The decision was taken and the army arrested Majid without shooting a bullet,” said the security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He added, “The army knew that Majid left his hiding place in Sidon, 40 kilometers [25 miles] south of Beirut, on the evening of the attacks on the army two weeks ago [Dec. 15].” The source was citing the Sidon attacks — which left four attackers and one Lebanese soldier killed after a triple attack on checkpoints around the city — that Al-Monitor reported on in detail.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.