Investigation into the assassination of Brig. Gen. Francois el-Hajj and his bodyguard, staff sergeant Khairallah Hadwan, is focusing on suspects hiding inside the southern refugee camp of Ein al-Hilweh and believed linked to the terrorist Fatah al-Islam group.In the southern port city of Sidon, security sources doubted that three suspects arrested on Wednesday were connected to the murder. The three detainees -- identified as fishermen Mohammed Masri, Talal Masri and Mohammed al-Atab - were arrested in house raids in Taamir, a residential area adjacent to Ein al-Hilweh.
The sources said a man identified as Hussein Nasser had sold the olive green BMW used in the bombing attack to the party that likely detonated the vehicle. They said Nasser sold the car without a registration document to two men only two days before the bombing attack, adding that interrogation is underway to pin down the buyers. The sources said the car did not enter the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp after its purchase and that it likely headed to Lebanese territory north of the Awali River. For this reason, the sources went on to say, efforts are focused on the activity of the extremist groups in areas of Mount Lebanon and elsewhere in Lebanon.