The report said Hezbollah security officials suspect al-Qaida made a failed assassination attempt last summer against Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and several al-Qaida members arrested said they had fired rockets into Israel.

The Arab-language newspaper said Lebanese security officials identified three al-Qaida cells operating in southern Lebanon and had seized explosives and 150 pounds of cyanide and other chemicals.

Other intelligence said al-Qaida members planned to attack U.N. peacekeepers to make it look like Hezbollah activity, Ynetnews.com said.

Both al-Qaida and Hezbollah are considered terrorist groups by the majority of Western countries.