BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese authorities detained several people who were allegedly planning to launch rockets into Israel and seized the weapons, the military said Sunday.
The army said the arrests were linked to other detentions announced earlier this week. It added that as military intelligence was investigating that case they got information that a new rocket attack was being planned.
The army said troops raided an apartment near the southern port city of Sidon and seized some of the rockets and the launchers and detained several people who were involved in the operation. It said they were referred to judicial authorities.
Authorities on Wednesday detained several people, including a number of Palestinians, who were allegedly involved in firing rockets toward Israel in two separate attacks in late March that triggered intense Israeli airstrikes on parts of Lebanon. Lebanon’s Hezbollah group denied at the time that it was behind the firing of rockets.
Meanwhile on Sunday, a series of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed two people, the Lebanese Civil Defense said in a statement. The Israeli army said in a statement that it killed Hussein Ali Nasr, whom it described as the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Unit 4400. Israel said Nasr helped smuggle weapons and funds into Lebanon via “Iranian operatives,” including through Beirut airport.
In a separate incident, three Lebanese soldiers were killed after ammunition a Lebanese army vehicle was carrying exploded, the army said in a statement. The circumstances in which the explosion happened were unclear.
Since a November ceasefire ended a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of people in Lebanon including civilians and Hezbollah members. Israel says it’s targeting Hezbollah holdouts in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said Friday that its fighters will not disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese air space.
littleredpinto on April 21st, 2025 at 15:40 UTC »
Well, that is a step up from just helping arm the people planning the rocket attacks or pretending they arent happening or basically anything other than stopping people from firing rockets at another country.....how many people here live in a country where you can set up rockets in your yard/apartment and fire them at your neighboring countries?? sure me and my buddies do it 10-12 times a night at both the neighboring countries around me but I think we are the rarity? anyone else have this happening? pretty sure the authorities in my country would stop anyone else before they even got close to firing missiles. Anyone but me and my buddy, we is special.
I would also say it is a step up from the Lebanese authorities literally blowing up their city port due to allowing storage of explosive material..man I wonder why they were storing all that explosive stuff? we will Neve know I guess
HotSteak on April 21st, 2025 at 11:55 UTC »
This is exactly how it's supposed to work. I really hope that Peace and Law return to Lebanon.
aWhiteWildLion on April 21st, 2025 at 11:33 UTC »
The Lebanese Army announces that it foiled a planned rocket attack from Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a November ceasefire ended over a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to the army’s statement, forces raided an apartment in the area of the city of Sidon, confiscated rockets and launch pads, and arrested several individuals involved.
Last week, the Lebanese Army reported that it had arrested Palestinians and Lebanese citizens who were involved in a rocket attack on northern Israel in March.