Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — The Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah has closed off parts of Lebanon’s capital in an effort to stop repeated suicide bombings linked to Al Qaida.

Arab sources said Hizbullah has closed streets around its headquarters in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.

The sources said Hizbullah troops have been deployed on several roads and streets to Dahiyeh in wake of a series of bombings during the last three months.

“Hizbullah has taken over the duties of the police in parts of Beirut,” a source said. “There has been no resistance to this.”

The sources said Hizbullah has closed streets to all traffic, including parked cars. They said the Shi’ite force also placed large metal barriers in front of Hizbullah buildings and lined streets with cement blocks and barbed wire.

“There are parts of the capital that are practically deserted,” the source said.

On Jan. 26, the Kuwaiti daily Al Anba reported that Hizbullah has conducted extensive measures to stop the suicide car bombings of facilities around Lebanon. Al Anba said Hizbullah has relocated offices as well as the residences of senior operatives.

At the same time, Hizbullah’s intelligence agency was seeking to
identify those responsible for the bombings. Over the last month, Al Qaida’s
Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for attacks on Hizbullah and
Iranian facilities.

In the last attack, on Jan. 21, at least four people were killed in a
suicide car bombing in Beirut’s Haret Hareik neighborhood. The sources said
the Hizbullah investigation has been hampered by a lack of suspects.

“It has obtained detailed information about the groups that are seeking
to pressure Hizbullah’s support base in order to force it to alter its
stances,” Al Anba said.

The sources said Hizbullah has been on alert for additional car bombings
around Beirut. The alert has also intensified operations of the Lebanese
Army, believed dominated by Hizbullah.

At the same time, the Lebanese Army has been tracking agents of Syrian
President Bashar Assad. On Jan. 27, the Lebanese daily An Nahar reported
that the army arrested a Syrian woman found to have filmed near the Defense
Ministry complex as well as the house of Chief of Staff Gen. Jean Kahwaji.

“The young woman lives in a building near the ministry and she used to
practice jogging on daily basis and under the eyes of soldiers,” An Nahar
said. “That continued until an officer noticed from the window of his office
that she had never showed up without her hand purse. It turned out that it
contained a video camera that was recording the daily movements at different
times of the day.”

  Abdullah Azzam Brigades, Dahiyeh, Haret Hareik, Hizbullah closes off parts of Beirut in wake of Al Qaida-linked bombings