Mossad-Linked Cells Focused on Hizbullah Activity North of Litani
Security forces continue their interrogation of two Mossad-linked cells that have been arrested on charges of spying for Israel, following the detention of the so-called "al-Alam cell."
The daily As Safir on Monday said security forces have arrested two cells – the first is made of two members identified as Robert Edmond Kfouri from Zahle and Mohammed Ibrahim Awad, a Palestinian living in the villa sector in Sidon, while the second is operated single-handedly by Lebanese citizen Ali Hussein Mantash from Zibdin, but residing in Nabatiyeh.
It quoted a high-ranking security official as saying that the cell members have confessed to working for Mossad.
Al Akhbar newspaper, for its part, said Kfouri and Awad have confessed to spying for Israel, including providing the Jewish state with data from more than one region of southern Lebanon.
A source told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that Awad is the cousin of Abdul Rahman Awad, the successor of Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker Abssi.
Mantash, however, according to Al Akhbar, has initially denied any link with Israeli forces and was relying on his release by AMAL Movement since his brother is assistant to a leading figure in Speaker Nabih Berri”s group.
But he later admitted link to Israel after finding out that he is not politically covered.
Mantash said he was recruited following the 2006 war on Lebanon and that he was in charge of monitoring a number of locations and people close to the "resistance" in areas north of the Litani River.
Security sources told As Safir that computer sets, CD-ROMs and cell phones have been confiscated from the detainees” houses. Their cars, installed with GPRS tracking system, have also been seized.
They said al-Alam cell was operating in isolation from the two other groups.
Former security services officer Brig. Gen. Adib al-Alam, his wife Hayat Saloumi and nephew Joseph Semaan al-Alam — also a security official – were charged on Thursday with spying for Israel.
They are accused of informing Israel about Lebanese and Syrian military and civilian sites with the aim of facilitating Israeli attacks.