Lebanon continues the arrest campaign of militants /relatives

The Lebanese army continues its arrest campaign of militants and their relatives and arrested the sister-in-law of an ISIS commander

Leila Abdullatif ,  wife of Mohammad Sharkas,  who is the brother of  ISIS commander Anas Sharkas ,better known as Abu Ali al-Shishani  had been arrested according to media reports

Mohammad Sharkas said his wife wanted to leave their home in Hermel to join his brother and other ISIS fighters on the outskirts of Arsal.

Shishani appeared in a video last week threatening to attack Lebanon and to start kidnapping women and children in retaliation for the arrest of his  wife, Ola al-Oqaili, and two children by the Lebanese Army.

Oqaili was apprehended at a Syrian refugee camp in north Lebanon two weeks ago.

The Lebanese army also detained the  ex -wife and daughter of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as they crossed from Syria about 3 weeks ago.

The Lebanese Army  also  arrested Jaafar Shahhal  the son of sheikh Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal, the founder of the Salafist Movement in north Lebanon, a security source said Friday.

The father  who is also wanted by authorities for weapons possession has acknowledged the arrest, according to El-Nashra website

In another development the Lebanese Army raided several border villages in the early hours of the morning   Saturday along the Bqayaa village in Wadi Khaled near the border with Syria   and arrested eight people,  National News Agency said

The army  confiscated ammunition found in the detainees’ houses and the men were referred to the judiciary, NNA added.

Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal blamed  the Iranian backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah last November  for  the arrests that are targeting the Sunnis .

“Hezbollah has a lot of influence on many measures and decisions and the way these decisions are carried out in Lebanon,” Shahhal said in a Nov. 4 interview.

Many Sunni religious and political figures have repeatedly criticized security forces for discriminating against them and turning a blind eye to Hezbollah, whose fighters are freely crossing the border to fight alongside President Bashar Assad’s regime.

The al Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State, who have been holding several soldiers and policemen captive, were demanding the release of militants   who are in custody for involvement in terrorist activities in Lebanon.