“Hefty Catch” Seized by Army Intelligence in Ain el-Hilweh
The Lebanese army intelligence has reportedly arrested a top Fatah al-Islam official after luring him outside the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh.
As Safir and al-Liwaa dailies said Saturday that Fadi Ghassan Ibrahim, known as Sikamo, was arrested at dawn the day before. They said the man is very close to Fatah al-Islam leader Abdel Rahman Awad who has been out of sight since October 2008.
Both newspapers described Ibrahim as a "hefty catch."
Al-Liwaa daily quoted informed sources as saying that Ibrahim, 34, has been linked to several bombings and plots prepared by Fatah al-Islam, the latest of which was entrusting the terrorist group”s members at Bourj al-Shamali camp with observing Lebanese army and UNIFIL posts in the south in order to carry out attacks against them.
Ibrahim, who is a Palestinian and was given the Lebanese citizenship in 1994, is also linked to the blast that targeted the patrol of the Irish contingent in Rmaileh, north of Sidon on January 8, 2008.
Furthermore, the militant was involved in the attack on the Tanzanian unit at al-Qasmiyeh bridge north of Tyre in July 2007, according to al-Liwaa.
The newspaper also said that the army intelligence arrested Hassan Ahmed Merhi, 18, who is in charge of the Fatah al-Islam cell at Bourj al-Shamali. The man confessed that he was receiving instructions from Ibrahim and had received ammunition from him to carry out terrorist activities.