Lebanese Army arrests 69 criminals as Syria steps up security

Apr 15, 2009, 21:48 GMT

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.