Hezbollah rejects opposition leader's accusation on death of intelligence chief

The Lebanese Hezbollah militant group rejected Thursday remarks by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who accused the group of involvement in the bombing that killed Lebanon's Internal Security Forces intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan a week ago. In a statement issued by its media department, Hezbollah said " Geagea's remarks are altogether rejected ... This is a provocative attempt to fuel the fire of sectarian discord and to raise the tension in the country." Last Friday, a car bomb went off outside a residential building near Sassin square in Ashrafieh district in Beirut, leaving eight people killed, including Hassan, and injuring more than 85 others. Hezbollah added in the statement that Geagea's accusation "is something that is rejected by any wise and patriotic individual, and is only welcomed by those who accept to provide a free service to the Israeli enemy and its criminal plans." Earlier on Thursday, Geagea said that Hassan was assassinated by the Shiite group under orders from its Syrian and Iranian backers after uncovering the plot of Lebanon's ex-information minister Michel Samaha. Samaha was investigated by Hassan's team and was arrested in August on charges of forming a criminal gang aimed at carrying out attacks in Lebanon at Syria's behest. The Lebanese Forces, affiliated with the March 14 coalition, is a staunch critic of Hezbollah and supporter of the Syrian unrest against President Bashar al-Assad.