A Christian Lebanese family is heartbroken over their 22-year-old son's involvement with jihadist groups.
The Warraq family, who is a well-known Christian family in the northern Lebanon village of Mejdalaya was caught off guard when the news broke out. Not only are they staunch army supporters, but 20-year-old Michael Warraq is even a soldier himself.
They shared their grief with the AFP after Lebanese authorities announced the arrest of their son Elie and two others since the three jihadists allegedly planned suicide bomb attacks.
His father Tony admitted that they could not believe the news and it has really unsettled the family. "We were so shocked when we heard the news, I haven't slept since. It's my son!"
"I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy," he added. "Whenever I see on television that people are blowing up churches and mosques in Iraq and Syria, I wonder 'How could a human do such a thing?'"
And now that he discovered that it was his own son doing the shocking acts, Tony is in total disbelief and even questioned if he was hallucinating. He shared that Elie gave no indication that he switched beliefs. The young man initially followed his father's profession in the construction business. He only finished high school, and even attempted to work as a policeman twice but he quit both times.
Tony also said that 18 months ago, Elie began spending more time in the neighboring city of Tripoli, where jihadists are reportedly hanging out. The Warraq family never suspected any suspicious behaviour from their son either. Tony is still angrily questioning what the jihadists did to his son that changed him so drastically.
"How do they brainwash them? Do they give them something?" he asked.
The Lebanese army announced on Thursday that it managed to foil "a plan to implement a series of suicide attacks" and arrested the three people involved, including Elie who wanted to go by the name "Abu Ali."
"They were preparing to carry out terrorist attacks against army posts and residential areas and were using falsified Syrian and Palestinian identity documents," the army said. "The investigation found they had pledged allegiance to terrorist organisations and participated in fighting in Syria and attacks against the army."
