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On 9 July, as many as 37 people were wounded in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive attack in Bir al-Abed, a Hizbullah stronghold in the south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut. The attack followed a series of threats in recent days by Syria-based militant Islamist groups to target Hizbullah areas in Lebanon.
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Beirut Bombing – Hizbullah Targeted by Militants Analysis from Charles Lister, IHS Jane’s Terrorism & Insurgency Centre Analyst
Copyright © 2012 IHS Inc. 2
The story
• On 9 July as many as 37 people were wounded in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive attack in a Hizbullah stronghold in the south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut
• Reports indicate the attack took place in the Bir al-Abed district, widely considered an area of particularly strong Hizbullah support
• The attack follows a series of threats in recent days by Syria-based militant Islamist groups to target Hizbullah areas in Lebanon
Copyright © 2012 IHS Inc. 3
Context
• Shia Muslim Hizbullah’s active role in militarily backing Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has seen it become the target of threats from Sunni Muslim militants in Syria and Lebanon itself
• Militant Islamists, including several members of Jabhat al-Nusra and of its faction loyal to Al-Qaeda in Iraq – the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – have threatened attacks in Lebanon
• Unidentified militants in Lebanon have launched several rockets targeting Bir al-Abed in recent weeks
• Suspected Sunni Islamist militants inside Syria have launched Grad rockets into the Hizbullah stronghold town of Hermel in the Beqaa Valley, although no casualties were reported
Copyright © 2012 IHS Inc. 4
Outlook and implications
• The scope of the Syrian conflict has truly become regional in recent weeks
• Spill-over from Syria into Lebanon is an established reality, though a car bombing in Beirut is a clear escalation
• Fatwas issued by Sunni sheikhs in May and June calling for jihad against Hizbullah have heightened sectarian tensions and legitimised attacks on Hizbullah
• Further destabilisation of Lebanon’s security is now probable, the result likely to be a further hardening of the stances held by Hizbullah and its Sunni militant adversaries
• Comments by Hizbullah officials blaming the attack on Israel can be interpreted as an attempt to deflect any links being made to its activities in Syria
Copyright © 2012 IHS Inc. 5
This rapid reaction piece has been abridged from more in-depth analysis from IHS Jane’s Terrorism & Insurgency Centre. ihs.com/jtic
