Probe underway to determine affiliation of Lebanon suspects

Lebanese authorities arrested over the weekend 18 people suspected of involvement in the bombing of American targets in Lebanon. District Attorney Adnan Addoum said investigations are still underway to identify the political affiliation of these suspects arguing that they might be supporters of a militant group.

A week ago, a bomb was detonated in a Beirut McDonalds branch, wounding four people. Police discovered at the site that another device was due to explode minutes later "but luckily didn't", according to one Lebanese security officer.

The second explosive was hidden in a car stationed at the McDonalds parking lot. Security forces were successful in identifying the car owner and arrested him at home where they discovered a Lau missile.

Four militants were later arrested and confessed that they planned to bomb the American Embassy with the missile seized from the the car owner's apartment.

One of the main accused of planning the attack on American targets escaped, however, and took refuge in a Palestinian refugee camp in North Lebanon, according to Addoum. Lebanon has 12 Palestinian refugee camps most of which lack security forces.

Militants determined to harm American targets had already bombed food chain franchises such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut in the past few months.