Some Hezbollah leaders are suspected of encouraging supporters to dig underground tunnels in areas where they live to create alternative storage sites for weapons and ammunition, according to exclusive information obtained by Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.

The reported initiative reflects concerns that conventional weapons depots could be targeted by future security measures or other developments, prompting efforts to establish storage facilities that are less visible and spread across a wider geographical area, a military source told the newspaper.

The information has emerged following the discovery of a tunnel under construction in a wooded area between Fanar and Zaitariyeh, near Roueissat al-Jadideh in the Metn district northeast of Beirut. The discovery has renewed questions about whether Hezbollah may be preparing alternative locations for its weapons and military equipment as pressure mounts over the future of its arsenal.

According to Nidaa al-Watan, the source’s account raises the possibility that the excavation could be part of a broader effort to establish underground storage sites away from locations historically associated with Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.

The report also links these concerns to the explosives shipment intercepted at the Dahr al-Baidar checkpoint. Nidaa al-Watan previously reported on the incident and on information suggesting that Hezbollah might be seeking to store weapons and military materials in warehouses in parts of Mount Lebanon.

Tunnel investigation remains inconclusive

Lebanese Army units inspected the tunnel and found that it measured approximately 14 meters, including about five meters vertically and eight meters horizontally, according to information cited by Nidaa al-Watan. No weapons or military equipment were found inside, although basic digging tools were discovered. The army arrested a suspect believed to have participated in the excavation, and investigations are continuing to determine the tunnel’s intended purpose.

The findings do not establish that the tunnel was intended for military use. However, the military source told the newspaper that the absence of weapons at the site did not rule out the possibility that the excavation was meant to accommodate them later, particularly if construction was still at an early stage.

The source said some Hezbollah leaders were reportedly encouraging supporters and members of the group’s social base to dig tunnels in their areas, with the aim of using them to store weapons, ammunition and military equipment. Such sites could provide alternatives to conventional storage facilities and make them less conspicuous, the source suggested.

The discovery has also prompted questions about the explanation offered by Fanar Mayor Michel Salameh, who said the municipality had been informed by Army Intelligence that the excavation was intended for gold prospecting rather than security-related activities.

The military source expressed skepticism about that account, given the information he said he had received regarding possible efforts to establish underground locations for concealing military equipment. In a sarcastic remark, he asked: “Are treasures found only beneath land in areas with predominantly Shiite populations?”

The gold-prospecting explanation has not been independently established, and the investigation has yet to determine why the tunnel was dug.

Military expert says construction can take months or years

A retired Lebanese Army brigadier general specializing in military engineering told Nidaa al-Watan that he had entered several Hezbollah tunnels in southern Lebanon over the years and had firsthand knowledge of their construction and equipment.

He said the tunnels varied in size, design and complexity depending on the geological conditions. Their construction could involve manual digging and electrical or mechanical equipment, while concrete, steel plates, metal mesh and sheet-metal supports could be used to reinforce walls and ceilings and prevent collapses.

Some tunnels he had seen were rudimentary and lacked basic safety measures, while others were more sophisticated, containing underground corridors and rooms and featuring multiple entrances and exits. Moving through certain tunnels was extremely difficult and dangerous because of their narrow dimensions and the risk of rock or soil collapsing. During one visit, he recalled, he required a military escort of about 10 personnel.

Based on photographs and videos circulating online, the brigadier general said the Roueissat-Fanar excavation appeared rudimentary and to be in its early stages. He said it could have been intended to conceal contraband or other materials, particularly if those involved had previous experience in tunnel construction, but he did not rule out its possible future use as a weapons and ammunition depot.

“Who can guarantee that a tunnel being dug today for one purpose will not be used tomorrow to hide weapons?” he asked.

He stressed that the absence of weapons or contraband did not conclusively establish the purpose of an unfinished excavation. Further investigation would be needed to determine who dug the tunnel, why it was built and what it was intended to contain.

The retired officer added that underground military facilities could take many months or even years to construct, depending on the terrain, their size and the level of equipment involved. He cited the large underground facilities Hezbollah has publicized under the names “Imad 4” and “Imad 5” as examples of the scale of engineering and construction such projects can require.

He also recalled spending seven or eight years in military accommodation in Nabatiyeh, where he frequently heard loud explosions, particularly at night. “We would hear repeated explosions throughout the night, and this continued for years,” he said, linking the sounds, in his military assessment, to excavation and the construction of underground facilities.

The tunnel’s discovery has therefore raised questions that remain unanswered. While the army has found no weapons or military equipment at the site, investigators have yet to establish its intended use or whether it was connected to a wider effort to create alternative storage locations.

The exclusive information cited by Nidaa al-Watan points to a possible shift toward more dispersed and concealed storage sites, but the alleged instructions from Hezbollah leaders have not been independently confirmed. The investigation into the Fanar tunnel remains ongoing.