Lebanon expands investigation into seized explosives — Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanese judicial authorities have expanded the investigation into a shipment of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baydar on the highway between the Bekaa Valley and Beirut. The investigation is determining the origin of the cargo, its possible recipients and intended purpose, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
Additional interrogations and search for suspects
The investigation is being coordinated by Prosecutor General Ahmad Rami al-Hajj and the government commissioner at the military court, Judge Claude Ghanem. Ghanem returned the preliminary investigation files concerning two detainees — Ali K. and Haitham A. — to the military police for additional questioning about the explosives and their likely destination.
Security agencies were also instructed to establish the identities of two men known as Sajed and Zulfiqar. According to an unnamed senior judicial official, the detainees identified them as Hezbollah representatives. The source claims that Sajed allegedly handed over the cargo in the Bekaa Valley, while Zulfiqar was waiting for it to be delivered to Beirut's southern suburbs.
According to the same source, both detainees said in their preliminary testimony that they belonged to Hezbollah. Investigators must also identify other possible participants, as they believe a larger group of people trained in handling explosives may have been involved in the operation.
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More than 500 kilograms of explosives
A judicial source said the cargo may have contained more than 500 kilograms of explosives. The substances were allegedly packed in cardboard boxes together with small metal balls and nails that could have pierced car bodies in an explosion.
The publication's interlocutor said the discovery had heightened concerns about a possible return of political assassinations that took place in Lebanon in 2005–2012. At the same time, he stressed that evidence beyond the seizure of the cargo itself is needed to establish the existence of a specific attack plan.
Politicians' reaction
Kataeb Party leader and MP Sami Gemayel called on the state to immediately dismantle Hezbollah's military and security infrastructure. MP Ashraf Rifi described the seizure of the explosives as an extremely serious incident and urged investigators to uncover the entire network and hold all those involved accountable without political interference.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar said the investigation would continue until it is completed. In a post on X, he called the disarmament of unauthorized groups and counterterrorism non-negotiable goals.
