BEIRUT: Conflicting reports emerged Sunday concerning the closure of a road leading to the United Nations headquarters in Downtown Beirut, following reports of a possible attack against the building.

Hours after an interview with the Agence France-Presse, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel denied, in a telephone call with LBCI television, that the Internal Security Forces had learned of a possible attack against the U.N. Economic and Social Commission of Western Asia building in Beirut.

“No … it is not true that I told the AFP that there is a threat of an attack against ESCWA,” Charbel told LBCI, adding that appropriate measures have been taken for the building’s security.

“Some of the ESCWA staff rushed for safer places in the building … I tell them not to be afraid because strong security measures have been taken,” added Charbel.

AFP reported that Charbel said the ISF beefed up security measures to protect the U.N. headquarters.

“The Internal Security Forces have multiplied their measures around the ESCWA after receiving intelligence reports about a possible attack against the building,” Charbel told the agency.

All roads leading to the U.N. headquarters of ESCWA were closed Friday following an agreement between ESCWA officials and Lebanese security officials, drawing waves of criticism from local officials and companies in the area.

Charbel also said security measures were adjusted after officials at the ESCWA expressed concerns following the August car bomb attack against the U.N. headquarters in Nigeria.

In August, a car loaded with explosives crashed into the main U.N. building in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, killing at least 18 people. The attack was the deadliest against a U.N. headquarters in a decade.

In the AFP interview, Charbel said he had received the security recommendations issued by ESCWA, adding that Lebanese officials were also informed of a security threat against the building.

“Intelligence reports of a possible threat against ESCWA coincided with the information of the ESCWA officials with regard to the building’s safety,” Charbel explained in the interview.

A security official confirmed the reports to The Daily Star Sunday.

“Both the intelligence information with Lebanese officials and the recommendations of the U.N. have led to the closure of the roads,” the security official said.

Charbel refused to disclose further information on the source of the security threats against the ESCWA, while later denying reports that a specific threat had surfaced.

But meetings between high-ranking U.N. officials and the minister confirmed the heightened attention being paid to security downtown.

“I discussed the security measures with the ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf and the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams before he left the country,” said Charbel.

Williams, who ended his diplomatic mission in Beirut last month, left Beirut for London Saturday.

Another security source told The Daily Star that security measures that closed the road leading to ESCWA and other parts of Downtown Beirut were necessary to protect U.N. personnel.

“Lebanese officials wouldn’t like to see a reduction in the number of ESCWA staff, out of fear of an attack,” the source explained.

According to the source, the failure of Lebanese officials to secure the area properly would further worry officials at ESCWA and could even lead to the relocation of the U.N. headquarters away from Beirut.