Aoun chairs security meeting, says no leniency with security violators
President Joseph Aoun stressed during a security meeting in Baabda on Monday the necessity of “strictly enforcing laws, preventing armed appearances, confiscating weapons and ammunition, expediting investigations, and referring violators to the competent judiciary to take the necessary action.”
He also emphasized that the current phase requires meticulous monitoring of the situation and taking essential proactive measures, in addition to “preventing any exploitation of the economic situation to turn it into a breach of security.”
"There can be no leniency with any attempt to disrupt security or compromise the country's stability. The current phase demands the highest levels of readiness and coordination among the security and military agencies, continuous information sharing, and a precise evaluation of developments, avoiding any duplication of roles or conflict of authority," the president added.
He also requested reinforcing the presence of the Internal Security Forces, General Security, and State Security in southern villages and towns not under Israeli occupation, to provide “reassurance to the residents and facilitate administrative services for them.”
Moreover, Aoun commended the work of the army and security forces, praising their “readiness, swift action, and effectiveness in detecting crimes, tracking down perpetrators, and arresting them.”
The security meeting, which brought together the chiefs of the country’s military and security agencies, comes amid Hezbollah-related tensions in the country and fears of a regional conflagration that might affect Lebanon.
Hezbollah has acknowledged that a truck full of explosives seized by Lebanese authorities belongs to the group and said the explosives were intended for use against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
The truck, which was stopped at a checkpoint on the main highway linking Beirut with the eastern Bekaa Valley, was carrying 780 kilograms of explosives, including 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C-4 plastic explosives, according to judicial officials.
Two men were arrested when the truck was stopped, and Lebanese authorities launched an investigation. They said that security agencies will go after other people involved in the shipment.
The news of its seizure has generated heated public discussions, with many accusing Hezbollah of planning to carry out assassinations of domestic opponents at a time when the group is under increasing pressure to disarm.
Hezbollah has requested Lebanese authorities to hand the shipment over to them and release the two people who were detained.
The incident has highlighted growing tensions between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
For years, Hezbollah had moved weapons freely in parts of Lebanon. That changed in March, when the Lebanese government declared all military activities by the Iran-backed group "illegal."
That decision came hours after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, triggering a war that has killed nearly 4,000 people in Lebanon and resulted in Israeli forces occupying a large swath of southern Lebanon. The group fired the rockets two days after Israel and the United States launched a war on Iran, its main backer.
Hezbollah has refused to recognize the government decision outlawing its military wing.
Source: Naharnet
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