Beirut blast kills counterterror official
A ranking Lebanese counterterrorism official was killed today in a powerful car bomb explosion in a mostly Christian suburb of the capital that left at least four others dead and 20 injured, officials said.
Inspector Wissam Eid, who died along with his bodyguard in the explosion, was the intelligence officer responsible for investigating a recent spate of bombings throughout the country for Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, which is considered close to U.S.-backed politician Saad Hariri.
“Today a very important officer in the ISF was targeted,” Gen. Achraf Rifi, head of the division, told reporters at the site. “We continue our mission of protecting the country, and we will not be scared or stopped by any attack. We got the message. It is a message of terror.” [complete article]
