'Lebanese colonel arrested for espionage'

A Lebanese army colonel has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Israel amid attempts in the country to dismantle Israeli espionage networks, security sources say. "A colonel serving with the army has been detained by army intelligence as part of the crackdown on Israeli spy networks uncovered throughout the country," AFP quoted a security official as saying on Tuesday. AFP said the colonel has been identified as Mansour Diab. The Lebanese military command has not yet confirmed the arrest. Over the last two months, Lebanese security forces have launched a crackdown on espionage activities and have arrested at least 30 suspects. A total of 21 people have been charged with spying, including three on Tuesday. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Hezbollah movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah called on officials to totally dismantle the Israeli spy networks in the country. Lebanon has also asked the United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon to help return two suspected Lebanese spies who fled to Israel last week.