The army did not specify in a statement the number of people it had arrested in the crackdown in the Brital district, but a local security officer told AFP seven people were nabbed.

The group allegedly operated between Lebanon and Arab countries, the army said, without naming the countries.

It said the arrests took place with the cooperation of Syrian security services and army intelligence.

Brital, like much of eastern Lebanon, is under Syrian control due to its large army presence there.

On Friday, Lebanese gang leader Abbas Tlayss, 55, was killed in a shoot-out with an army patrol in the same district, the army said.

He had a career that ranged from drug trafficking and auto theft to dealing in counterfeit money and murder, the army said.

His son Hassan, in his 30s, was seriously wounded in the clash and taken to hospital, while another son, Hamad, was detained in connection with an outstanding arrest warrant.

It is not known whether the shoot-out and Saturday's arrests were related.

WAR.WIRE