Beirut - A military operation late Wednesday in eastern
Lebanon uncovered a major drugs factory and arrested 69 fugitives in
response to the deaths of five Lebanese soldiers in an attack on army
vehicles earlier this week.
The factory in the town of Housh Barada in the ancient city of
Baalbek was being used to 'synthesize drugs and large quantities of
processed and unprocessed illegal substances,' a Lebanese Army
statement said.
'At least 1,500 kilograms of drugs were also confiscated in other
raids the Bekaa,' the statement said.
The army seized large arms caches, counterfeited currencies and 13
stolen vehicles, including a silver-coloured Jeep Grand Cherokee that
was believed to have been used in Monday's fatal attack on a Lebanese
Army convoy.
On Monday, an attack by gunmen on the army convoy left five
soldiers dead and 11 wounded. The attack was linked to a dispute
between the army and drug dealers from the Jaafar clan in the area of
Riyak, east Lebanon.
The army statement said the operation led to the arrests of the 69
detainees, who are suspected of involvement in a wide range of
crimes.
The army is hunting down suspected drug lords behind the convoy
attack. Lebanese Army sources said the operation will continue until
all culprits in Monday's attack are 'caught and punished.'
Areas in eastern Lebanon, especially the Hermel-Baalbeck region,
have for decades been notoriously lawless. It is also a stronghold of
the Shiite militia Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Syrian authorities tightened security along the
Lebanese borders to prevent any criminals wanted in Monday's attack
from sneak into Syrian territory.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story