Lebanon's BMX-Riding Preacher Arrested After Two Years On the Run

The fugitive Lebanese cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir was apprehended at Beirut's airport on Saturday as he attempted to board a plane to Nigeria with fake travel documents. Assir tried to disguise his appearance by shaving his beard and donning a 1970s style bushy mustache and comb-over.

"Lebanese authorities arrested Ahmad al-Assir this morning at the airport," a security source told the AFP. "He had changed his appearance and was trying to leave the country."

Assir had been underground for two years, wanted by the Lebanese authorities for leading a group of conservative yet quirky Sunni Muslims who allegedly ambushed a military checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon in June 2013, sparking a battle that killed more than 20 people and shut down the Mediterranean port city for two days.

Last year, military prosecutors announced they would they would seek the death penalty if Assir ever resurfaced.

Following the cleric's arrest, the Lebanese authorities began a crackdown on Assir's followers, conducting a series of raids in Sidon over the weekend.

Assir first gained notoriety in the early days of the Syrian Civil war for publicly criticizing Hezbollah — the powerful Lebanese Shia militia and political movement that is allied with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad — for its intervention in the Syrian Civil War.

Related: The Islamic State Vs. Lebanon

A charismatic preacher, he found support among Lebanon's Sunni Muslim population, and quickly became a regular fixture in the Lebanese media. In public, he preached coexistence between Lebanon's religious sects. He also became became one of the most prominent voices criticizing the cozy relationship between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah.

As his popularity grew, al-Assir built a compound in his hometown of Sidon. He attracted many young followers from Lebanon's Sunni population, who often clashed with local supporters of Hezbollah.

As the Syrian Civil War escalated, al-Assir encouraged young Sunni men to travel there and fight against the Assad regime. He also accused the Lebanese military of being in bed with Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Assir became famous for his media savvy and for staging a number of high-profile publicity stunts. In one incident, he was photographed biking around on a BMX during an anti-Hezbollah rally.

Ahmad al-Assir had tried to escape before by bike. — ???? ???????? (@srichani)August 15, 2015

In another publicity stunt, Assir took his followers, including a number of women wearing the niqab — a veil that covers the entire face except for the eyes — to a ski resort in a Christian-dominated area of Lebanon, where they photographed themselves having a snowball fight. The pictures went viral.

Sheikh Ahmad Al — Racha El Halabi (@Racha93halabi)January 25, 2013

Assir also recruited the renowned Lebanese pop star Fadel Shaker, who abandoned a successful music career to join the cleric's entourage.

Lebanese military courts r seeking the death penalty for Ahmed al-Assir, rumors say he is an — Caspar Schliephack (@SerioSito)February 9, 2015

In the Lebanese port city of Sidon in 2013, Assir's supporters battled the Lebanese army, allegedly supported by Hezbollah, from their fortified complex of apartment buildings, which included the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque, where Assir preached and often met with the media.  The battle sent stray bullets and sniper fire onto Lebanon's main coastal highway, and trapped terrified civilians in nearby apartment buildings and shops, including one reporter in a nearby KFC.

The Army defeated Assir's forces, but not before 16 soldiers and 13 Assir supporters were killed. Assir and several of his followers escaped from the compound and disappeared. He did, however, continue to release audio messages to his supporters. In those messages, he repeatedly urged Sunni soldiers to defect from the Lebanese military.

Since his disappearance, a number of Assir's followers have reportedly carried out suicide attacks in both Lebanon and Iraq.

After the cleric's arrest on Saturday, around 25 female relatives and supporter briefly blocking the highway in Sidon, in a show of support for the cleric.

Related: 'We'll Die Before They Make Us Leave': Lebanese Christians Are Ready to Face the Islamic State on Syria's Border

Watch VICE News' documentary Hooligans Against Salafists: