Lebanese security forces seized hundreds of kilograms of explosives at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint this week, prompting high-level political fallout as Hezbollah acknowledged ownership of the illicit cargo while authorities expanded military and judicial investigations into the transport network.
An initial routine stop at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint—a vital mountain pass connecting the Bekaa Valley to Beirut and Mount Lebanon—uncovered a gray Dodge van carrying a massive haul of high explosives. Internal Security Forces personnel grew suspicious of the vehicle’s heavy load and ordered the driver to pull aside, leading to the discovery of the hidden munitions.
Judicial and security sources confirmed the seizure. A source stated the explosives totaled 500 kilograms, distributed as 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C-4.
Hezbollah Acknowledgment and Official Demands
Following days of political and security tension, Hezbollah acknowledged that the seized explosive shipment belonged directly to the group. Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, stated that party representatives had contacted security and judicial authorities immediately after the interception to declare that the vehicle and its cargo belonged to the resistance. He added that the party demanded the immediate release of the detainees and the return of the vehicle and its contents, asserting that these materials are capabilities used by the party against Israel.
the immediate release of the detainees and the return of the vehicle and its contents,
Hassan Fadlallah demanded.
The admission triggered sharp reactions from opposition figures and political parties. The political bureau of the Kataeb Party declared that capturing the weapons in the act and receiving an admission from a Hezbollah lawmaker places direct political responsibility on the organization and puts the state before its responsibility in dealing with it as a case that touches state security and civil peace.
Military Intelligence and Information Branch Investigations
The investigation was divided between the Lebanese Army’s Directorate of Military Intelligence and the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch under the supervision of Military Prosecutor Judge Claude Ghanem and State Prosecutor Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj. Military intelligence interrogated the two suspects arrested at the scene, Haitham Amhaz and Ali Al-Kurdi.
Both detainees maintained during questioning that they were instructed only to transport the explosives using a dead-letter drop method, claiming they did not know the real identities of the handlers known by the military aliases “Sajid” and “Zulfiqar.” Communication data analysis subsequently linked a phone belonging to one suspect’s wife to the operative known as Sajid, leading investigators to summon her for questioning.
Political and Security Repercussions Across Lebanon
Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar praised the General Directorate of Internal Security Forces and the checkpoint officers for their vigilance and professionalism. He emphasized that the military intelligence and information branches would expand the investigation at the request of the Cassation Public Prosecutor to clarify all circumstances and hold everyone proven to be involved accountable according to the law.
Retired Brigadier General Khaled Hamada told MTV that the seized quantity was sufficient for hundreds of assassinations, noting that the C-4 matched components used in past political assassinations in Lebanon prior to 2006. He added that the penthrite discovered in the haul represented a novel explosive material previously encountered in pager detonations.
Meanwhile, international monitors closely following the case warned against returning the confiscated materials to Hezbollah, cautioning that any leniency would undermine state credibility and violate government commitments to enforce state authority across all Lebanese territory.