Young Lebanese turn to militancy as the economy fall

s Lebanon’s economy has deteriorated in recent months, scores of young men have vanished from the country’s impoverished north and reappeared in other parts of the country.

As the local currency has collapsed, the salary values and bank accounts has vanished, and prices have risen, and many Lebanese have fallen into poverty. Tripoli was already Lebanon’s poorest city before the crisis, and the situation has only gotten worse with scores of young, seemingly unemployed men on the streets.

But poverty isn’t the only factor prompting some young men to join ISIS. Tripoli and its environs are also a focal point for many members of Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim community, who complain of government neglect in Beirut. In crackdowns on militancy, security authorities have targeted Sunni youth, and campaigners have claimed for years that thousands have been held without charge due to accusations of militant ties.