Group behind Lebanon cafe attack identified

(MENAFN- Arab News) BEIRUT: A double suicide attack that killed eight people at a cafe in the Lebanese city of Tripoli was carried out by the Islamic State group the interior minister said on Sunday contradicting a claim of responsibility by the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Nohad Machnouk also said he expected more instability linked to the Syrian civil war that has been at the heart of repeated violence in Lebanon over the last four years.

The Nusra Front said on Saturday it was behind the bombing in the Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen.

Machnouk said investigators were questioning men who belonged to the same organization as the two bombers both of whom have been identified as men from Tripoli.

'The initial information so far says that criminal state of Daesh was the one behind the bombing' Machnouk told journalists in Tripoli using an pejorative Arabic acronym for the group that has seized wide areas of Syria and Iraq.

Lebanese security officials have warned of plans by Islamic State and the Nusra Front to further destabilize Lebanon. The last major flare-up in the city Lebanon's second biggest was in October when 11 soldiers and at least 22 militants were killed.

That followed an August attack by militants affiliated to the Nusra Front and Islamic State in Arsal. The militants are still holding some two dozen members of the security forces.

Machnouk said: 'Naturally we expect that all the while the fire in Syria continues the escalation will increase more and more.'

Lebanese flags covered the coffins of eight victims at their funeral and leaders from across the political spectrum have called for unity warning that the attack aimed to ignite strife.

The families of the two bombers condemned the attack. 'Crime has no religion creed neighborhood or family' a spokesman for the families said adding there would be no mourning for the bombers.