Lebanon formally arrests detained wife of IS chief
Officials say al-Baghdadi’s ex-wife and daughter who entered Lebanon last month illegally are being held for ‘terrorism crimes’
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BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese judicial officials said Tuesday that authorities have issued a formal arrest warrant for a wife of the Islamic State group leader and referred the detained woman to military prosecutors.
The officials said Saja al-Dulaimi is being held at the Defense Ministry on suspicion of “terrorism crimes,” and that all military staff dealing with her will be women.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Last week, Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk said that DNA tests have confirmed that a child captured along with al-Dulaimi late last month is the daughter of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Iraqi officials have disputed that.
He added that al-Dulaimi was married to al-Baghdadi six years ago for a period of three months.
Lebanese authorities say they have also arrested the wife and two children of another Sunni militant commander in Syria, Abu Ali al-Shishani.
The officials said the woman had entered Lebanon illegally, and authorities were studying whether to deport her to Syria or give her refugee status in Lebanon.
Al-Shishani, who has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, had threatened to “retaliate” against families of Lebanese soldiers over the arrest.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
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