The arrest of five alleged Hezbollah members in the mountainous highlands between the northern Lebanese districts of Batroun and Bcharre has triggered political controversy and heightened security concerns, as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding their presence in an area where the group has no traditional support base.

The five men were arrested by an Internal Security Forces (ISF) patrol on Tuesday night and transferred to the ISF Information Branch headquarters in Beirut for questioning, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Wednesday.

The investigation is being conducted under judicial supervision by Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, alongside Military Court Commissioner Judge Claude Ghanem. 

According to local media reports, the circumstances of the arrest have raised questions, particularly after the men reportedly attempted to destroy documents they were carrying by tearing them up when approached by the patrol.

The officers recovered the shredded papers, which are now a key focus of the investigation. Initial reports suggested they may have included security-related information, while other accounts pointed to lists of names, weapons inventories and references to villages across the Koura, Batroun and Bcharre districts, including the area around Rashkida. It remains unclear whether the documents contained detailed maps or plans of the region.

The men were reportedly traveling without cell phones, a detail that has added to suspicions surrounding their movements.

According to local media, one of the detainees is from Zghorta al-Mtewle in the Batroun district, while the other four come from Bint Jbeil, Khiam and Tyre in southern Lebanon, as well as the northern Bekaa Valley.

Patrol reportedly encountered the men by chance

Further details of the arrest emerged in a report by the news outlet Al-Modon, which said the five men were spotted by an ISF patrol passing through the area by chance.

When approached and questioned, they reportedly appeared nervous and hurriedly tore up documents in their possession, prompting officers to arrest them and search both the men and the surrounding area. The shredded papers were subsequently recovered.

The Beirut Time platform, meanwhile, reported that the papers included lists of names grouped together, descriptions of the weapons held by each group and references to villages in the region.

Salam Pledges Unrestricted Investigation

The arrests prompted intervention from senior government and security officials, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam following the case from Turkey, where he is leading Lebanon's delegation to the COP31 climate summit.

Salam contacted Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar, Justice Minister Adel Nassar, Prosecutor General Ahmad Rami al-Hajj and ISF Director General Maj. Gen. Raed Abdullah to follow up on the investigation.

In a statement, the prime minister stressed that the era of impunity and cover-ups had ended, insisting that the investigation would face no restrictions beyond those imposed by the law.