Lebanese Court Sentences Extremist to 160 Years for Deadly Attacks
A Palestinian official affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group has been sentenced to 160 years in prison by a Lebanese military court. Imad Yassin, also known as Imad Akl, was found guilty of carrying out deadly attacks against security forces in Lebanon and planning additional ones targeting government buildings and crowded civilian areas. The court heard that Yassin confessed to all 11 charges against him, which included joining a terrorist organization, perpetrating crimes in the Ain el-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp, shooting at Lebanese soldiers, and transporting weapons and munitions for militant groups.
According to unnamed judicial officials, Yassin revealed his involvement in various planned attacks, such as the destruction of two main power stations, the headquarters of a significant local television station in Beirut, the assassination of a prominent politician, and assaults on hotels north of Beirut. It was disclosed that prior to joining Islamic State, Yassin had been a member of other militant Islamic groups, including the al-Qaida-linked Jund al-Sham, which remains active in Ain el-Helweh. In more recent years, Yassin rose to become the top official representing Islamic State within the camp.
Yassin has been detained in Ain el-Helweh, near the city of Sidon, for the past six years. The military court sentenced him to a total of 160 years in prison, with the session commencing on Monday night and extending into the early hours of Tuesday. The news of his sentencing became public on Wednesday.
At its peak in 2014, when it declared a caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks throughout Lebanon, resulting in numerous casualties. In response, Lebanese forces carried out a major operation in 2017, successfully retaking IS-held territories along the Lebanon-Syria border.
