Beirut: Lebanon's senior security chief today vowed to fight what he called "the empire of terror" as angry mourners vowed revenge at the funeral of a top intelligence officer killed in a car bombing.

Yesterday's murders of Major Wissam Eid, his bodyguard Osama Mereb and three civilians triggered local and international condemnation and were seen as a new attempt to derail stability in a country paralysed by political crisis. "We are determined to confront the empire of death and terror," Internal Security Forces chief Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi said at a ceremony at ISF headquarters in Beirut before the funeral.

Rifi paid tribute to Eid and Mereb, calling them "heroes and martyrs," and pledged that the ISF "will continue to confront those who have decided to terrorise the nation." He hailed Eid for "contributing to developing the intelligence services."

Eid, 31, was Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator and was involved in probes related to a spate of killings in recent years of mainly anti-Syrian politicians and figures, including former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Pall bearers wearing ISF uniform placed both coffins draped in Lebanese flag into ambulances for the journey to the northern port city of Tripoli, as colleagues of the dead men were unable to hold back their tears.

A band played a funeral march as Rifi and police and military brass looked on when the ambulances drove away. Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Tripoli, which is decked with black flags.

Source : PTI