United Nations (PTI): A network of criminals was responsible for the massive car bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 22 others in February 2005, say UN investigators who are now engaged in gathering material to identify the individuals involved.

The same network or parts of it were responsible for other political murders carried out in the wake of demands for Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon, according to the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) which has just submitted its report to the Security Council.

The report, first since Canadian prosecutor Daniel Bellemare took over this year, says that it has evidence that the network of individuals existed before the murder and carried out surveillance on him.

It continued to exist even after the assassination.

But the report also warned against expecting indictment soon, citing complexity of the inquiry.

The 10-page report came as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was in the process of setting up Special Tribunal to try those responsible for the assassination of Hariri and other political murders. The Tribunal would be located in Netherlands and a prosecutor and registrar have already been appointed.

Once formally established, it would determine whether other political killings in Lebanon since October 2000 were connected to the assassination of Hariri and therefore fall within its purview.