Several Syrians and Palestinians Arrested in Connection with Beirut Explosions

Two days after the explosions in Beirut, Lebanese officials reported the arrest of five Syrians and one Palestinian in connection with the Thursday blasts in an area controlled by Hezbollah in southern Beirut. In two suicide bombings on Thursday night, November 21, 43 people were killed and over 200 were injured. A Lebanese security source told Reuters that 'this network was discovered in the fastest operation of its kind within 24 hours.' The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the explosions in the Burj al-Barajneh area, stating that its members detonated a bicycle carrying explosives in the neighborhood, and after a crowd gathered, a suicide bomber detonated himself among them. The Lebanese army announced that three suicide bombers were involved in the Thursday night explosions. Hezbollah, which has supported Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the protests in Syria and has played a significant role in fighting against armed opponents of the Syrian government, has recently been assisting Syrian government forces alongside Iranian military personnel, especially in Aleppo province, to conduct operations to reclaim areas under opposition control. Following the Thursday night explosions, Hezbollah described these attacks as a sign of 'the correctness of their path against terrorism' and stated that it would continue its fight against 'terrorism' in Syria. The UN Secretary-General, the United States, Iran, Russia, and other Western countries condemned the Beirut explosions.