BEIRUT, Lebanon — The Lebanese military mentioned a blast at a weapons depot close to the Israeli border killed six troopers on Saturday, with a army supply saying the troops have been eradicating munitions from a Hezbollah facility.
Below the truce that ended final yr’s battle between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese troops have been deploying within the nation’s south and dismantling the Iran-backed terror group’s infrastructure within the area.
The deaths come after the Lebanese authorities determined this week to disarm Hezbollah and tasked the military with drawing up a plan to finish the method by yr’s finish.
Hezbollah has mentioned it should ignore the cupboard’s choice, which got here beneath heavy US strain, whereas the group’s backer Iran mentioned Saturday it opposed the hassle.
A army assertion gave a preliminary toll of six troopers killed “whereas a military unit was inspecting a weapons depot and dismantling its contents in Wadi Zibqin,” in Tyre district close to the Israeli border.
Investigations have been underway to find out the reason for the blast, it added.
A army supply, requesting anonymity as they weren’t authorised to temporary the media, advised AFP the blast came about “inside a Hezbollah army facility.” Troops have been “eradicating munitions and unexploded ordnance left over from the current battle” when the blast occurred, the supply added.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun mentioned he spoke to military commander Rodolphe Haykal a few “painful incident” that led to various lifeless and wounded from the military because of a munitions explosion as an engineering unit “was working to take away and disable” the ordnance, a presidency assertion mentioned.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute on X to the troops who have been killed “whereas performing their nationwide responsibility.”
The announcement got here after Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, mentioned Thursday that troops had “found an enormous community of fortified tunnels” in the identical space.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq had advised reporters that peacekeepers and Lebanese troops discovered “three bunkers, artillery, rocket launchers, tons of of explosive shells and rockets, anti-tank mines and about 250 ready-to-use improvised explosive units.”
It got here after the Lebanese authorities on Thursday voted to approve a US proposal that might finally result in disarming the Hezbollah terror group, after tasking the military earlier within the week with drawing up a plan to ascertain a state monopoly on arms by the top of the yr, a problem to Hezbollah.
The choice to disarm the group prompted Hezbollah ministers and Muslim Shi’ite allies to stroll out of the cupboard’s dialogue on the plan, three Lebanese political sources advised Reuters.
Submitted by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the area, Tom Barrack, the plan units out probably the most detailed steps but for disarming the Iran-backed group, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since final yr’s devastating battle with Israel.
Along with disarming Hezbollah, the US proposal would additionally result in ending Israel’s army operations within the nation and the withdrawal of its troops from 5 positions in southern Lebanon.
A senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned Saturday that Tehran “is definitely against the disarmament of Hezbollah.”
“Iran has all the time supported the folks and the resistance of Lebanon and continues to take action,” worldwide affairs adviser Ali Akbar Velayati advised Iran’s Tasnim information company.
Lebanon’s overseas ministry slammed the feedback as “flagrant and unacceptable interference,” reminding “the management in Tehran that Iran can be higher served by specializing in the problems of its personal folks.”
