Six Lebanese Army soldiers were killed and others injured in a deadly explosion in Lebanon’s Tyre District during an operation to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.
The Lebanese army said the blast occurred on Saturday in the Wadi Zibqin area, near the coastal city of Tyre. The unit was inspecting and dismantling materials at the time. Others were injured but the army has yet to specify how many.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the explosion may have been caused by unexploded ordnance left over from Israel’s recent military assault in southern Lebanon.
However, a military source told AFP the blast happened inside a Hezbollah military facility. The source said troops were removing munitions and unexploded ordnance left from the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Southern Lebanon has repeatedly witnessed deadly incidents caused by leftover munitions from Israeli military campaigns. These remnants continue to pose a risk to residents and security forces.
Israel launched military operations in Lebanon on October 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September last year. The conflict killed more than 4,000 people and injured around 17,000.
Although a ceasefire was reached in November, Israeli forces have continued near-daily attacks across Lebanon, particularly in the south where much of the Arab county’s Shia Muslim population resides. Israel claims the strikes target Hezbollah positions but civilian deaths have also been reported.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Hezbollah, an armed Iranian proxy which has fought against Israel many times in its history, is a powerful political faction inside Lebanon.
Its leaders and supporters have long argued that disarming would weaken the country’s ability to resist Israeli aggression, however, following the latest deadly conflict with Israel over Gaza, the call by Hezbollah’s critics for Hezb to lay down their arms has increased.
Hezbollah is a designated terrorist group in the UK and several other Western countries.
As part of the U.S.-brokered truce agreed last November which ended the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, Israel was due to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, 2025. The deadline was extended to February 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply.
Israel still maintains a military presence at several border outposts and Israel’s airforce has attacked Lebanon constantly racking up a large number of clear breaches of the deal. Hezbollah has not retaliated.
The Lebanese army has been working with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to dismantle Hezbollah military infrastructure in the south.
This is part of the ceasefire deal with Israel which the government in Beirut hopes will end Israel’s violations of Lebanese sovereignty. Hezbollah has rejected the plan, saying it serves Israeli interests.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers recently discovered a vast network of fortified tunnels in the same area as the blast.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the find included three bunkers, artillery, rocket launchers, hundreds of explosive shells and rockets, anti-tank mines, and about 250 ready-to-use improvised explosive devices.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the incident as a “painful” moment for the country.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam wrote on X: “Lebanon mourns the sons of our valiant army who fell as martyrs in the south while carrying out their national duty.”
Diodato Abagnara, head of the UNIFIL mission, also expressed condolences to the victims’ families. He said the soldiers had been “simply doing their job to restore stability and avoid a return to open conflict.”
He added that UNIFIL would continue supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces in their efforts to maintain stability.
The blast comes amid a fragile ceasefire following months of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war.
Under the truce, Lebanon agreed to confiscate all “unauthorised” weapons. Israel committed to halting offensive operations against Lebanese targets.
