The Lebanese Army announced Friday that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle military-grade munitions from Syria into Lebanon, seizing a quantity of weapons in the process.

According to a statement issued by the Army Command, an intelligence patrol intercepted an attempted smuggling operation in the Bsaybis area of Hermel, a northeastern border region near Syria.

The patrol from the Army's Directorate of Intelligence successfully prevented the illicit transfer of artillery shells and fuzes across the border and confiscated part of the shipment, the statement said.

The seized materials have been handed over to the relevant authorities, the statement added, noting that an investigation is underway to identify and arrest those involved.