BEIRUT — Security forces in Lebanon have apprehended multiple individuals who were suspected of preparing to fire rockets towards Israel, confiscating the associated weaponry, as reported by the military on Sunday.
The arrests were connected to previous detentions declared earlier in the week. According to the military, their intelligence operations revealed plans for another rocket attack in the process of investigating a prior case.
As a response, soldiers conducted a raid on an apartment near Sidon, a port city in the southern part of the country. During the raid, they discovered and seized rockets and launchers, detaining several individuals thought to be involved in the scheme. These individuals are now in the custody of judicial authorities.
Just a few days earlier, several people, including Palestinians, were arrested for their supposed roles in launching rockets toward Israel, actions that occurred in two separate incidents in late March, leading to significant retaliations by Israeli forces on Lebanese territories. Lebanon’s Hezbollah group has consistently maintained that it played no role in these rocket-launching incidents.
On the same day as the recent detentions, a series of Israeli airstrikes targeted southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of two individuals, as confirmed by the Lebanese Civil Defense. The Israeli military identified one of the casualties as Hussein Ali Nasr, described as the deputy leader of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400. They also accused Nasr of aiding the smuggling of weapons and funds into Lebanon with the assistance of entities linked to Iran, including routes through Beirut’s airport.
Separately, a tragic accident occurred leading to the death of three Lebanese soldiers due to an explosion involving an army vehicle carrying ammunition. The precise details surrounding this incident remain unclear.
Following a ceasefire in November that concluded a 14-month conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, Israel has continued airstrikes in Lebanon, which have claimed many lives, both civilians and Hezbollah members. Israel has stated its operations target Hezbollah strongholds in the southern regions.
Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Kassem, stated on Friday that the group would not disarm while Israeli forces remain stationed in southern Lebanon and continue violating Lebanese airspace with regular incursions by their air force.