A security operation on October 5 has opened a fresh dispute over armed groups and state authority in Lebanon. Forces stopped a vehicle at the Dahr el-Baydar checkpoint, on the route between the Bekaa Valley and Mount Lebanon, and found a large load of explosives, officials said. Judicial officials later put the shipment at about 780 kilograms, including TNT and C-4.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah subsequently acknowledged that the vehicle and its cargo belonged to the group. He said the material was meant for operations against Israel and called for the return of the explosives and the release of two detained people. The group has not provided details about a specific planned operation.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ordered an investigation and said authorities would pursue everyone involved. He has also reiterated that weapons outside state control would be dealt with firmly. Hezbollah’s rivals have raised concerns that explosives could be used inside Lebanon, pointing to past political killings; investigators have not established that this shipment was intended for an internal attack.
The seizure has sharpened a wider argument over Hezbollah’s military role and the government’s efforts to bring weapons under state authority, particularly as tensions with Israel continue.
