OMM Newsroom
Lebanon issued arrest warrants on Thursday for two detained Hezbollah members as part of an investigation into a truck carrying explosives seized in the eastern Dahr al-Baidar area, the National News Agency reported, according to Anadolu Agency.
First Military Investigative Judge Ghada Abu Alwan issued the warrants for Ali al-Kurdi and Haitham Amhaz after questioning them in the presence of their lawyer. The orders place the two men under formal judicial detention while the investigation proceeds.
Abu Alwan postponed until Nov. 17 the questioning of six other defendants who remain at liberty. Their lawyer filed procedural objections, giving the military prosecution time to review them and submit its position.
Lebanese judicial authorities charged 13 people affiliated with Hezbollah on Oct. 30 over the case. Internal Security Forces seized the truck on Oct. 5 as it travelled from the eastern Bekaa region toward Beirut and detained two people aboard.
Lebanese media reported that the truck contained between 500 and 800 kilograms (1,102-1,764 pounds) of explosives, including TNT and C-4, as well as metal balls and nails.
Ten days after the seizure, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah acknowledged that the vehicle and explosives belonged to the group. He said the materials were intended for use against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and called for the explosives to be returned and the detainees released.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi later denied media reports alleging that the shipment was intended for assassinations inside Lebanon.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said authorities must identify those involved and those behind them, determine their plans and refer them to the judiciary.
The case also drew US attention. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the explosives shipment with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in mid-October and urged an expanded investigation and accountability for those who ordered and financed the operation, according to the Lebanese presidency.
The Lebanese government is pursuing a programme to bring all weapons under state authority, including Hezbollah’s arsenal. The group maintains that its weapons are necessary for what it calls resistance against Israel.
