Beirut, 11 Nov. (AKI) - Seven people have been arrested in Beirut suspected of involvement in "terrorist activities". Lebanese interior ministry sources say they include five former activists close to the al-Murabitun group, an official of the Saiqa Palestinian militia controlled by Damascus, and a member of the popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-general Command (FPLP-CG). Local media on Friday suggested that those arrested had taken part in operations by the secret services "aimed at creating chaos" in Lebanon and had received orders and money from colonel Jamaa Jamaa.

Leaks from investigators in the UN-sponsored commission probing the murder in February of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, last week indicated six officials that were wanted for questioning, including Jama Jama, who was the Beirut chief officer of Rustum Ghazale, head of the Syrian intelligence services in Lebanon.

There has been no indication of the motives behind the arrest of the FPLP-CG member, Said Lubani, but security experts in Lebanon say he is thought to be part of the same Syrian-Lebanese network which in recent months sought to destabilise Lebanon by preparing and carrying out dynamite attacks in the Christian suburb of the capital.

The FPLP-CG is supported by the Syrian authorities and led by Ahmad Jibril , also named in the UN report. Since the withdrawal of Syrian troops in April, the group no longer has the military and security cover it enjoyed for years, allowing it to operate freely in much of the Bekaa region. For weeks now, the Lebanese army has been installing checkpoints around the group's military posts.

The 'al-Murabitun' was founded towards the end of the 1960s in Beirut by members of the Sunni middle class who adhered to the Arab nationalism ideology of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. During the civil war (1975-91), it transformed into an armed militia allied with the Palestinian groups close to the late PLO leader, Yasser Arafat.

Up to the mid-80s, members of 'al-Murabitun' managed to control much of West Beirut, until they were defeated by the Druze milita of Walid Jumblatt, forcing most of their leaders to flee the country.

Since then, many Lebanese and Syrian groups have promoted the growth of various paramilitay groups known as al-Murabitun, with the scope of dividing Lebanese Sunnis.