Blast at Hezbollah Site in Lebanon Kills Six Soldiers

The Lebanese army reported that a blast at a weapons depot near the Israeli border on Saturday resulted in the deaths of six soldiers. According to a military source, the troops were engaged in removing munitions from a Hezbollah facility at the time of the explosion.

Under the terms of the truce that ended last year’s conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese forces have been deploying in the country’s southern region, actively dismantling the Iran-backed militant group’s infrastructure there.

The fatalities occurred shortly after the Lebanese government announced its decision earlier this week to disarm Hezbollah, assigning the army the task of devising a plan to complete the disarmament process by the end of the year.

Hezbollah has declared it will disregard the cabinet’s decision, which came under intense pressure from the United States. Meanwhile, Iran — Hezbollah’s principal backer — voiced its opposition to the disarmament effort on Saturday.

A military statement provided a preliminary death toll, noting that six soldiers were killed “while an army unit was inspecting a weapons depot and dismantling its contents in Wadi Zibqin.” Investigations are currently ongoing to establish the precise cause of the blast.

A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief the press, told AFP that the explosion occurred “inside a Hezbollah military facility.” The source added that troops were “removing munitions and unexploded ordnance left over from the recent war” when the blast took place.

President Joseph Aoun confirmed that he had been informed by Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal of the “painful incident.”

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, stating they died “while performing their national duty,” and described the Lebanese army as the protector of the country’s “unity and its legitimate institutions.”

US envoy Tom Barrack, who has spearheaded Washington’s efforts to push for Hezbollah’s disarmament, extended the administration’s “deepest condolences” over the “loss of these brave servicemen.”

Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar also expressed his “sincerest condolences to the Lebanese army.”

‘Doing Their Job’

Major General Diodato Abagnara, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said the soldiers were “simply doing their job to restore stability and avoid a return to open conflict.”

The blast came just days after UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti revealed that peacekeeping troops had uncovered “a vast network of fortified tunnels” in the same region.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq informed reporters that the troops had also discovered a cache comprising artillery, rockets, mines, and improvised explosive devices.

Earlier this year in April, the Lebanese military reported that three soldiers were killed in a munitions explosion, shortly after another soldier was killed during mine clearance operations in a tunnel.

Under the November ceasefire, which aimed to conclude over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the possession of arms is to be restricted exclusively to Lebanese state institutions. The government has mandated the army to present a plan for disarming non-state actors by the end of August.

Ongoing Strikes and International Reactions

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Saturday that Tehran “is certainly opposed to the disarmament of Hezbollah.” Ali Akbar Velayati, an international affairs adviser, told Iran’s Tasnim news agency: “Iran has always supported the people and the resistance of Lebanon and continues to do so.”

In response, Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry condemned the remarks as “flagrant and unacceptable interference,” reminding the leadership in Tehran that Iran “would be better served by focusing on the issues of its own people.”

On Thursday, the Lebanese government discussed a US-proposed plan including a timetable for Hezbollah’s disarmament. The government endorsed the introduction of the US text without deliberating on specific deadlines and called for the deployment of Lebanese troops along border areas. It also demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from five southern locations they continue to occupy.

Despite the truce, Israel has maintained its strikes on Hezbollah targets within Lebanon and vowed to persist until the militant group is disarmed.

On Saturday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that one person was killed during an Israeli strike targeting a vehicle in the town of Ainata, near the border.