Syrian national arrested on border trying to smuggle rocket shells into Lebanon

A Syrian national was apprehended near the Lebanese-Syrian border near Aaiha, a village in Lebanon's Rashaya District, on Wednesday. The individual was attempting to smuggle rocket shells into Lebanon, and the Lebanese Army announced the seizure of the weapons. An investigation into the matter is ongoing, with the detainee currently under the supervision of "the competent judiciary."

The approximately 330-kilometer border between Lebanon and Syria has been a common route for Hezbollah, along with other terrorist groups and criminal organizations, to transport supplies and people in and out of Lebanon. Since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, Lebanon has intensified efforts to secure the border against smuggling.

It remains uncertain whether Hezbollah was the intended recipient of the rockets. Though Hezbollah possesses the capability to manufacture some weapons domestically, the incident occurred just days after reports surfaced of internal disputes within Israel's defense establishment regarding the extent of Iran's ongoing weapon smuggling to Hezbollah via Syria.

Concurrently, the Lebanese Army announced the arrest of 10 Syrians in Shaath, Baalbek, on suspicion of involvement in a dispute at a local camp. Their weapons were confiscated during this operation. In March, Beirut had prohibited non-state actors from possessing arms following Hezbollah's resumption of hostilities against Israel in response to the assassination of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Despite this regulation, Beirut has faced significant criticism for its perceived lack of action in seizing Hezbollah's weapons and the lenient sentences imposed on those few members who do appear in court.