Grand Sunni Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani played down a report of an assassination attempt against his life.

Qabbi stressed that the report “comes within the framework of efforts to disrupt the political and constitutional functions in Lebanon.”

The report, published by the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper, said Lebanese intelligence disrupted an assassination attempt on Qabbani that was to take place on the first day of Eid el-Fitr on Sunday.

It said that according to information obtained by the Lebanese intelligence, the assassination was intended to be done by means of a suicide operation inside Mohammed al-Amin Mosque during the Eid prayers.

In remarks published by the daily an-Nahar on Tuesday, Qabbani said al-Anbaa report also aimed at “spreading fear among citizens as well as destabilizing security and stability in Lebanon.”

Meanwhile, a security source told an-Nahar that security forces took “precautionary measures” around mosques and religious centers during Eid el-Fitr “to prepare for any emergency situation.”

He said the Lebanese army command took Dar al-Fatwa’s permission for tightening security measures around a number of spiritual and political leaders taking part in Eid prayers, in addition to clearing the streets leading to the mosque of vehicles.

Among the security measures was searching worshipers entering the mosque for fear of an infiltration attempt by one or more terrorists who could be wearing an explosive belt.

As-Safir newspaper, for its part, quoted a well-informed Lebanese military source as saying that the army command has received information about a possible terrorist attack against by a fundamentalist group against participants in the Eid prayers at Mohammed al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut.