IS claims deadly June attack on Lebanese security in Tripoli

IS claims deadly June attack on Lebanese security in Tripoli
IS' weekly newspaper has said its 'soldiers of the caliphate' were behind the 4 June attack on Lebanon's northern city Tripoli, which killed four people.
2 min read
05 July, 2019
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for last month's attack in Tripoli [Getty Images]

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for last month's attack in the city of Tripoli which killed four.

The group's Al-Nabaa newspaper revealed that "soldiers of the caliphate" were behind the 3 June attack, when a lone gunman fired on police and army vehicles in different parts of the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The group provided no evidence to back up their claims, An-Nahar reported.

The gunman killed two security officers and two soldiers before blowing himself up later when confronted by Lebanese soliders.

Troops were deployed in areas of the city to search for the attacker, who was tracked down to an apartment, the army said.

Members of an elite military intelligence force stormed the apartment on 4 June and opened fire at the suspect, who then set off an explosive belt he was wearing.

The army identified the gunman as Abdul-Rahman Mabsout, but gave no other details at the time. Mabsout was a former member of the Islamic State group who fought with the extremist movement in Syria, according to LBC television. He had been detained when he returned to Lebanon in 2016 and was released a year later.

The attack occurred on the eve of Eid el-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan of fasting. The Lebanese army announced earlier that it had increased security around the country due to Eid celebrations in the city.

Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, has seen clashes in the past between rival groups that support or oppose the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Islamic State group and al-Qaeda-linked militants have claimed responsibility over the past years for attacks in different parts of Lebanon that killed dozens of people.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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