Report: Nasrallah in al-Qaida’s sights

An al-Qaida branch in Lebanon reportedly tried to assassinate the leader of Hezbollah.

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An al-Qaida branch in Lebanon reportedly tried to assassinate the leader of Hezbollah.

Lebanese security forces over the summer arrested three al-Qaida operatives who confessed to a plot against Sheik Hassan Nasrallah’s life, the Lebanon daily newspaper As-Safir reported Thursday.

According to the newspaper, the assassination was to have involved explosives and poison. The detainees further said they had fired rockets into Israel in a bid to spark a war.

The report came amid major political upheaval in Lebanon, with Hezbollah and other Syria-backed groups facing off against the Western-favored government.

Hezbollah and al-Qaida have major doctrinal differences – Shi’ite and Sunni, respectively. But some terrorism experts believe they have stepped up cooperation against common enemies.

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