The Lebanese Army announced on Tuesday that it thwarted an attempt to smuggle 122mm Grad rockets from Syrian territory into Lebanon, seizing a pickup truck and arresting two Lebanese nationals who were part of the smuggling network. The interdiction took place in the Jard al-Arsal area near the border with Syria. The army did not specify the rockets' intended destination, but the smuggling was likely aimed at transferring the weapons to Hezbollah, analysts assess.
The Lebanese Army said it intercepted a pickup truck carrying 122mm Grad rockets in the Jard al-Arsal area, northeast Lebanon, arresting two Lebanese nationals. The army's statement did not name the intended recipient, but the area is a known smuggling route near the Baalbek region, a Hezbollah stronghold. The interdiction comes as Hezbollah's arsenal has been severely degraded by Israeli operations, with Israeli officials estimating that only about 8-10% of the group's pre-war rocket stockpile remains. The Lebanese Army, under U.S. and international pressure to assert control over arms smuggling, has conducted several similar operations in recent months, though it remains unclear whether the interdiction was coordinated with international forces. The rockets, 122mm Grads, are a standard artillery rocket widely used by Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias.
2 developments
- StrongSyrian forces reportedly intercept weapons truck from Iran bound for Lebanon
- DevelopingSyria and Iraq intercept Hezbollah-bound weapons cache near border
- DevelopingLebanon blocks fiber-optic imports to curb Hezbollah's explosive drone capability, journalist reports
- DevelopingIDF intercepts Hezbollah rockets in southern Lebanon, footage released
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