12/11/2018 Lebanon (International Christian Concern) – According to the Independent, Lebanese authorities have concluded a 10-month security operation against a group of ISIS militants who were planning attacks against military targets and Christian gatherings. The operation found that the ISIS militants made their plans in Idlib (Syria), and that the explosives were smuggled into the country in buckets of cheese.
Lebanon stands unique among the Middle East because its constitution mandates that the President should be Christian, the Speaker of Parliament Shia, and the Prime Minister Sunni. Equal representation of Christians and Muslims in Parliament is also mandated. Lebanon is small country who hosts over 1 million refugees, many from Syria, and is heavily influenced by Hizballah, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization.
The ongoing conflict in Lebanon’s neighboring country of Syria has caused a number of challenges for Lebanon. The governorate of Idlib is supposed to be a buffer zone for Internally Displaced Persons, but has also become a safe haven for militants. For countries that neighbor Syria, there continues to be much concern that ISIS militants may attempt to cross the border. For countries with a strong Christian presence such as Lebanon, this concern is especially intense given ISIS’s declared genocide against religious minorities.
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