Saudi jihadist dies in Lebanese custody

Gulf influence in Lebanon goes beyond financial aid. Saudi individuals are also present in the conflict, some as jihadist fighters confronting the Syrian regime and its Lebanese ally Hizbollah. With injudicious timing, the $3bn Saudi aid arrived just days before a Saudi-born jihadist leader – considered Al-Qaeda’s chief in Lebanon – died while in the custody of the Lebanese army. Majid Al-Majid, a commander of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group confronting the Assad regime in Syria, was believed to have been detained in Lebanon in late December.