Six Lebanese Soldiers Killed in Blast at Hezbollah Arms Depot Near Israeli Border

Six Lebanese soldiers died in an explosion at a Hezbollah arms depot near the Israeli border while dismantling munitions. The incident follows Lebanon’s decision to disarm Hezbollah by year’s end, a move opposed by the group and Iran. UN forces recently discovered a vast tunnel network with weapons in the same area.

Six Lebanese soldiers were killed on Saturday in an explosion at a Hezbollah weapons facility near the Israeli border, the Lebanese army confirmed. The blast occurred in Wadi Zibqin, Tyre district, as troops were dismantling munitions and unexploded ordnance left from recent hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.

The incident comes just days after Lebanon’s government decided to disarm Hezbollah by year’s end, assigning the army to implement the plan. The move, backed by the United States, has been met with outright rejection from Hezbollah and opposition from Iran, which condemned the disarmament effort as unacceptable interference.

A military source said the soldiers had been operating inside a Hezbollah military site when the explosion occurred. Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam offered condolences, with the latter calling the soldiers protectors of Lebanon’s unity.

UNIFIL’s commander, Major General Diodato Abagnara, said the soldiers were working to restore stability and prevent a return to open conflict. Days earlier, UN peacekeepers reported uncovering a vast tunnel network in the area containing rockets, artillery, mines, and improvised explosive devices.

The November ceasefire that ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah mandates that only Lebanese state institutions may possess weapons. Despite this, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon have continued, with the Israeli military vowing to maintain pressure until the group is fully disarmed.

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On the same day as the blast, an Israeli strike killed one person in the border town of Ainata, underscoring the persistent volatility in the region.