Lebanon arrests Hezbollah members over explosives

Lebanon arrests Hezbollah members over explosives

BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities arrested two suspected Hezbollah members accused of secretly transporting half-a-tonne of explosives, a judicial source said on Saturday. According to the source the two men were caught on Thursday afternoon at a security checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar in Leba­non’s east, near a road linking the country with Syria. They were in a car heading towards Beirut. After searching the vehicle, security forces seized “250 kilograms (551 pounds) of TNT-type explosives and 250 kilograms of C4-type, a highly explosive substance”, the source said. Based on initial investigations, one of the suspects is the son of a Hezbollah official and the other is also a member of the Iran-backed group, according to the source. The explosives’ destination remains unknown, the source added. Lebanese authorities have not confirmed the source’s information. But Justice Minister Adel Nassar vowed on X that “the investigation into the seized explosives, and everything that follows from it, will continue to the very end”. He insisted that work towards “disarming illegal groups, combating terrorism and prosecuting all outlaws is... irreversible and speeding up”. Lebanon approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah in 2025, following a ceasefire the previous November that ended a devastating war between the group and Israel. However, the conflict flared back to life in March this year when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran in the Middle East war. Israel invaded and now occupies a band of territory in Leban­on’s south. A new ceasefire was struck in June, and Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a framework deal that involves Hezbollah’s disarmament, a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region. Syria, under former ruler Bashar al-Assad — a Hezbollah ally — served as a major route for supplies channelled to the group by Tehran. But since the new authorities toppled Assad at the end of 2024, Syria has regularly announced the interception of weapons shipments destined for Lebanon. Hezbollah, which fought on Assad’s side in Syria’s civil war, denies having any presence on Syrian territory. Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2026