State media: Lebanese troops kill militant linked to Beirut hotel bombing

BEIRUT – Lebanese state media says soldiers have killed a wanted militant suspected of involvement in a suicide bombing at a Beirut hotel last month.

The National News Agency said special forces raided an apartment complex early Sunday to arrest a man identified as Monzer al-Hassan. Authorities believe al-Hassan transported explosives to two Saudi Arabian suicide bombers, one of whom blew himself up in the hotel. The other would-be suicide bomber was wounded and detained.

The NNA said al-Hassan resisted arrest and was killed in a shootout, which was followed by other gunbattles in Tripoli. The tense northern city often sees deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the uprising in neighboring Syria.

State media said al-Hassan was a dual Swedish-Lebanese citizen.