Lebanon seeks Turkish al-Qaeda suspect

Lebanese authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Turkish national accused of membership in al-Qaeda and of setting up…

Lebanese authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Turkish national accused of membership in al-Qaeda and of setting up a terror network in Lebanon.

Mr Mevlit Zikara, who is on the run, is also suspected of "committing terrorist acts," a source quoted military court judge Riad Talih as saying.

He is part of a group of 22 Arabs and Turks that the Lebanese army announced it was seeking in early October for being part of a terror network. Nineteen of them are on the run, the source said.

Until recently authorities only knew Mr Zikara by his pseudonym - Abu Obeida the Turk.

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If convicted he could face the death sentence.

Following the September 11thm, 2001, attacks on the United States, Mr Zikara allegedly helped members of a-Qaeda living in Arab countries to reach Afghanistan via Iran to fight on the side of the now-defunct Taliban militia, the source added.

Interpol is also expected to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Zikara.

- AFP