Lebanese army seizes weapons depot in Beirut's southern suburbs

The Lebanese army said Friday it had seized a large quantity of weapons and ammunition from a warehouse in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and arrested one person during the operation. The raid comes amid efforts by Lebanese authorities to bring weapons under exclusive state control following a government decision banning Hezbollah's military and security activities, though the army did not link the operation to that decision.

“The Intelligence Directorate carried out a qualitative security operation after precise monitoring and follow-up of weapons transfers and trafficking,” the army command said in a statement. Military intelligence personnel raided a weapons warehouse in the Musharrafieh area of Beirut's southern suburbs, seizing a large quantity of weapons and military ammunition, the statement said. The operation also resulted in the arrest of a Lebanese citizen identified by the initials A.A. The army did not identify the owner of the seized weapons or say whether they were linked to any organization or armed group.

It also provided no details on their exact type or quantity. Beirut's southern suburbs are considered Hezbollah's main stronghold and a center of its political, popular and security influence, housing institutions and headquarters affiliated with the group. The raid comes amid an ongoing debate over Hezbollah's weapons and efforts by Lebanese authorities to extend state security control and restrict arms to state institutions. On March 2, the Lebanese government ordered an immediate ban on Hezbollah's military and security activities, declaring them unlawful and instructing the group to surrender its weapons to the state and limit its activities to politics.

The decision followed Hezbollah's claim of responsibility for rocket fire toward Israel amid a regional military escalation, with the government stressing that decisions on war and peace must remain exclusively in state hands. The government directed military and security agencies to enforce the decision, prevent military operations outside legitimate state institutions and arrest violators. It also tasked the army with continuing implementation of a plan to bring weapons north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon under state control, using the necessary means to complete the process.

Hezbollah, however, refuses to surrender its weapons while Israeli forces remain on Lebanese territory and attacks continue, arguing that its arms are necessary to confront Israel. The developments come as the government seeks to strengthen state authority across Lebanon, while disagreements persist over how and when weapons should be brought under exclusive state control.