06/19/2019 Lebanon (International Christian Concern) – The Lebanese security services have arrested a 20-year-old Syrian national for plotting a series of attacks against Christian and Shia places of worship. He was inspired by the Sri Lanka Easter church bombings and was using social media to plan similar attacks in Lebanon.
The defendant is a member of ISIS who regularly disseminates the militants’ propaganda and recruits new members. Security forces also discovered that he had in his possession a manual composed by ISIS which details steps for building explosives.
Within the Middle East context, Lebanon is considered a comparatively safe country for Christians. It is the only country with a Christian president. Even so, challenges persist. The Iranian backed terrorist group, Hezbollah, has a strong political influence in the country. Lebanon is home to over a million refugees and asylum seekers. Lebanese Christians are well-aware of how this combination could place them into situations which make them more vulnerable to attacks.
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