BEIRUT: Lebanon's army said it seized explosives on Monday, after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed to deal firmly with illegal weapons, days after security forces seized a truck carrying materiel suspected of belonging to Hezbollah. The army said soldiers in the northeastern Hermel region "seized around 200 kilogrammes of explosive material packed in bags and ready for smuggling from Syrian territory" into Lebanon. A judicial official said that the C4 explosives were being smuggled "on a mule through an illegal crossing in the town of Qasr".
Salam on X confirmed that "it has become known that a few days ago a truck was stopped" in Dahr Al Baidar "carrying hundreds of kilogrammes of explosive materials" including C4. "We will not be lenient in following up and expanding the investigation in order to identify all those involved in this criminal operation, and those behind them," he said. "We will deal with weapons outside the legal framework with the required firmness," he added, whether regarding their possession, transportation or use. Salam also said that he understood "Lebanese worries" over the C4, particularly as it "has been used in a number of political assassinations" in Lebanon's history. — AFP
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