UNITED NATIONS, Oct 25: The chief UN investigator probing the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri said on Tuesday that his team had received several “threats”.

Detlev Mehlis told the UN Security Council that his commission “has received a number of threats which were deemed, in the assessment of our security personnel, to be credible.”

Mehlis, who was briefing the 15-member council on the findings of his four-month probe that implicated senior Syrian security officials in the Hariri slaying last February, said that as his team continued its work until December 15, security for its members was a priority.

He noted that since the enquiry commission began its work, exceptional security measures had been taken to protect it with the help of the Lebanese.

“However it should be noted that despite all the precautionary measures, the level of risk which was already high will increase further, particularly after the issuance of the report,” he added.—AFP