Lebanese army seizes 250kg of explosives smuggled from Syria

On Thursday, the Lebanese army announced the seizure of nearly 250kg of explosives smuggled from Syria. In addition to this haul of "highly explosive" TNT, four bombs, eight detonators, and electrical wires were also recovered. The smugglers were reportedly seen fleeing back into Syria following an army patrol on Lebanon's northeastern border. The army has not disclosed the identities of the smugglers or their intentions, but stated that follow-up and coordination efforts are underway to apprehend those involved.

Smuggling activities, particularly by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, have been a significant security concern for Syria since its 2024 power takeover. Hezbollah, an ally of the former Assad regime, has been closely monitored. The recent incident occurred just a day after Syrian security forces arrested three suspected Hezbollah members and dismantled rocket launchers in their possession.

There are reports that Syria and Hezbollah held a secret meeting in Turkey to ease tensions. Six unnamed sources from Syria, Lebanon, and the US claimed both sides denied hostility and assured each other that Syria would not militarily intervene in Lebanon to disarm the group. However, both Turkey and Syria denied the meeting ever took place, with Turkey calling the reports "entirely unfounded" and the Syrian Foreign Ministry stating the claims were "false."

Despite efforts to improve security ties since the 2024 and 2025 regime changes in both countries, Lebanon and Syria have had a complex relationship historically. Syrian occupation of Lebanon ended in 2005. Last month, Lebanese and Syrian authorities jointly uncovered a cell plotting attacks inside Syria through phone taps and shared intelligence.