Lebanese media reports say two suspected Hezbollah members admitted transporting a shipment from Baalbek to Beirut's southern suburbs on orders from a figure identified as Sajed, with explosives allegedly intended for a recipient dubbed as Zulfiqar.

New details have emerged about a large explosives shipment seized at a security checkpoint in Lebanon, including the alleged route it was supposed to take, the individuals reportedly involved in its transfer and the materials it contained, raising questions about its intended use.

The developments come just 48 hours after a diplomatic source told the Lebanese news outlet Newsalist that European intelligence agencies had warned Lebanese officials of a possible Iranian plot, allegedly led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to target senior figures in the Lebanese state, particularly President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

The seizure of a vehicle loaded with explosives at an Internal Security Forces checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar has heightened concern over the potential security implications.

When Newsalist contacted the same diplomatic source after reports emerged of the arrests and seizure, the source declined to elaborate, saying only: “I told you that the warnings we received were serious.”

The alleged connection between the intelligence warnings and the explosives seizure has not been established publicly. Several parties have raised the possibility that the shipment was linked to an assassination plot, but investigators have yet to identify a specific target or establish the explosives' intended purpose.

Shipment allegedly bound for Beirut's southern suburbs

According to reports by Lebanese broadcaster MTV and sources cited by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, the shipment originated in the Baalbek area of the Bekaa Valley and was supposed to be transported to Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

The two detainees reportedly told investigators that a Hezbollah figure known as Sajed had handed them the explosives in Baalbek and instructed them to transport the shipment in a Dodge Caravan. The materials were allegedly to be delivered to a man known as Zulfiqar.

MTV reported that the detainees, identified by the initials H. Amhaz and A. al-Kurdi, acknowledged belonging to Hezbollah. Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, citing their sources, said the two men belonged to the Amhaz and Leilaki families.

According to these accounts, a Honda had first transported the explosives to a location in the Baalbek highlands before the shipment was transferred for onward delivery. The reports did not establish who owned or operated the Honda, nor did they identify the individuals involved by their full names.

The detainees reportedly acknowledged carrying out the transfer on orders, but the sources did not disclose the full identities of those who issued the instructions or establish who ultimately controlled the shipment.

Conflicting figures over the quantity of explosives

The quantity and composition of the seized materials have also been the subject of differing accounts.

Initial reports put the shipment at around 500 kilograms, comprising TNT and C-4. A Lebanese security source cited by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath said the Dodge Caravan contained 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C-4.

MTV later reported a total of approximately 780 kilograms, including 216 kilograms of C-4 and 281 kilograms of tetryl, a highly explosive chemical compound. The remaining materials reportedly included nails and small canisters.

MTV said the nails and other components were intended to cause significant casualties in an explosion and warned that the quantity seized could have caused extensive damage if detonated.

An earlier security account had put the total at approximately 800 kilograms, including 250 kilograms of TNT and a larger quantity of C-4. The discrepancy between the figures could not be resolved through publicly available official information.

The reports also described the shipment as containing nails and metal balls, but did not establish its intended use or identify a specific target.

Investigation underway as security concerns mount

The Internal Security Forces stopped the gray Dodge Caravan at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint as it traveled from the Bekaa Valley toward Beirut. The two detainees and the seized materials were subsequently handed over to the Lebanese Army's military police for further investigation, according to the security source cited by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath.

The checkpoint lies on the main road linking Beirut with the Bekaa Valley and the Masnaa border crossing into Syria. The route is a major transport corridor used by trucks, commercial vehicles and private cars traveling between the capital and eastern Lebanon.

The seizure has prompted speculation that the explosives may have been intended for an assassination operation. However, no publicly available official findings have confirmed such a plot, linked the shipment to the alleged Iranian plan or established the responsibility of any particular individual or organization beyond the reported affiliations of the detainees.