Lebanon Arrests 5 Israel “spies”
Lebanese authorities arrested five people, including two brothers, on suspicion of spying for Israel on Friday, bringing the count of those detained for spying in 2009 to 19, a security official said.
The two brothers "are being questioned and their houses are being searched," the official told Agence France Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity, adding that they were taken into custody in the town of Ghaziye, near the south Lebanon port of Sidon.
A third suspect was arrested on charges of espionage in south Lebanon later on Friday, he added without giving details.
Hizbullah”s al-Manar TV said that an individual it identified as H. Abbas and another individual from the Bazzi clan were arrested in the southern town of Qana for suspicion in being an Israeli spy. It provided no further details.
"They are being questioned and their houses are being searched," the official told Agence France Presse regarding the two brothers on condition of anonymity, adding that the pair were taken into custody in the town of Ghaziyeh, near the southern port city of Sidon.
Arrest warrants were issued for a number of alleged spies detained since 2008, he added without giving details.
On Sunday, Lebanese policeman Haytham Sahmarani and his wife were taken into custody in Beirut”s southern suburbs.
Three suspects were also arrested on Sunday in the southern village of Habboush.
Two Lebanese men and a Palestinian were arrested on April 25 on suspicion of spying for Israel and were linked by the authorities to a retired general security officer arrested for spying earlier that month.
Former brigadier general Adib al-Alam was arrested along with his wife Hayat Saloumi and nephew Joseph al-Alam in April on suspicion of espionage — a charge punishable by life imprisonment or death in Lebanon.
The three are accused of informing Israel about Lebanese and Syrian military and civilian sites "with the aim of facilitating Israeli attacks," a judicial official said last month.
Al-Alam was arrested at his office near Beirut on April 14 along with his wife. He ran a housekeeping service which he allegedly used as a front to spy for Israel.
Marwan Faqih was arrested in south Lebanon in February.