Report: Beirut bombing suspect says he was sent by ISIS

The aftermath of twin suicide bombings in Beirut on Thursday.
(Image credit: Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images)

More than 40 people were killed and 200 injured Thursday when two suicide bombings ripped through a neighborhood in southern Beirut, and a source says one would-be bomber who survived the attack told Lebanese authorities he was a recruit sent by the Islamic State.

A Lebanese security source told CNN a man who said he was from Tripoli, Libya, was taken into custody after the explosions, and told authorities he arrived in Lebanon from Syria two days ago with three other attackers, who were all killed in the blasts. Intelligence agents believe the men could be part of an ISIS cell sent to Beirut, CNN says, and they are working on verifying his claim. A message allegedly written by ISIS claiming responsibility for the attacks is making the rounds on social media, but has not been authenticated.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.