Lebanon detains wife, son of Islamic State ‘caliph’
Syrian spouse of wanted terrorist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi arrested by military intelligence 10 days ago
BEIRUT — Lebanese forces have detained a wife and son of Islamic State group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi near the Syrian border, security and military sources said on Tuesday.
“Military intelligence detained one of his wives, who was traveling with their son, near (Lebanese border town) Arsal 10 days ago,” a security source told AFP.
A military source confirmed the arrest and said the woman was a Syrian national, and her son was around 8 years old.
Lebanese daily As-Safir, which first reported the arrest, said it was carried out “in coordination with foreign intelligence agencies.”
The security source said the wife and child were taken to the defense ministry headquarters in Yarze, “where investigations were continuing.”
The security source said the arrest had been kept secret while security arrangements were made.
Baghdadi was proclaimed “caliph” of IS’s self-declared Islamic “caliphate” spanning territory in Syria and Iraq in June.
He was put on the US “terrorism” watch-list in October 2011, and there is a $10 million (eight million euro) bounty for his capture.