Lebanon is bordered by Syria and Israel, and is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean basin and the Arabian heartland. It had a rich identity of peaceful religious and ethnic diversity. Recently the army carried out a series of raids after two IS suicide bombs killed 44 people in crowded commercial and residential areas of Beirut. Then, on Saturday a suspected IS terrorist killed himself, his wife and mother when he blew himself up during an army raid on his home near Tripoli. At least ten other people were wounded in the blast, including four security personnel. Security forces carried out further raids in the same town after the incident, and arrested several Lebanese and Syrian nationals. Last week a Lebanese court charged 26 people with belonging to IS. 23 of them were directly linked to a Beirut bombing in November which targeted a Shi'ite Muslim suburb.