Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Commander, Major-General Paolo Serra informed the Lebanese army intelligence directorate about an assassination plot against Speaker Nabih Berri, the pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat reported Friday.
Lebanese security sources told the daily newspaper that the Italian national Serra, obtained the information from Italian intelligence. However, the sources refused to specify the side plotting the assassination.
According to the newspaper, Berri would be targeted on his way from his residence in Ain el-Tineh to the parliament in Nijmeh Square in downtown Beirut.
Sources revealed that a five member network linked to al-Qaeda, and residing in Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp would carry out the plot, including Tawfiq Taha, Osama al-Chehabi and Mahmoud al-Doukhi.
Conflicting reports emerged early May, that seven Fatah al-Islam members had sneaked out of Ain el-Hilweh, and that Tawfiq Taha was among them.
Taha is reportedly the head of a terrorist network that the Lebanese army has recently uncovered. The group was plotting attacks against army barracks and bases.
It remained unclear where the fugitives had escaped to, but it is believed that they were in Syria, and the Syrian security forces detained two of them, media reports said.
On Monday, Berri informed senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmed about a list of names he obtained of those who are plotting to assassinate the speaker.
He urged the Palestinian authority to halt any attempt to use the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon to escalate tension in Lebanon.
The report, added that a meeting has been held between the leaders of the Palestinian community in Lebanon to discuss the issue, including the PLO representative, Fathy Aboul Ardat, and Hamas representative Ali Barka.
Aboul Ardat, told al-Hayat, that all the Palestinian parties in Lebanon are concerned about the case and will investigate it seriously, untill all those who are involved are revealed.
Earlier this month, the speaker confirmed that a list of politicians and figures would be targeted by extremist groups, describing the threat as serious and dangerous.
In January, security agencies urged Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, to take precautions as they might be the target of an assassination plot.