By Wassim Seif al-Din

BEIRUT

Lebanese army forces arrested a would-be bomber inside a crowded café in the capital Beirut on Saturday.

In a statement, the army said the bomber had tried to detonate his explosive belt inside a coffee shop in the Hamra neighborhood in west Beirut.

The bomber, the statement said, was spotted by soldiers, who have stepped up foot patrols in the neighborhood in recent weeks.

According to the statement, the man was injured during the arrest as soldiers held him down to ensure he was not able to detonate his belt.

Lebanon was hit by a string of attacks in recent years.

In 2015, around 40 people were killed in two suicide bombings in the capital Beirut.