Hezbollah sought to recover a truck carrying explosives that was intercepted in Dahr al-Baydar without having its cargo seized, but Lebanese security and judicial authorities rejected the request and are pressing ahead with an expanded investigation, Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing political and security sources.

A parliamentary source close to Lebanon’s Shiite political alliance of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement said that Hussein Abdullah, who was recently appointed head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, replacing Wafiq Safa, quickly contacted senior security and military officials in an attempt to secure the truck’s return.

His efforts were unsuccessful, the source said.

Hezbollah had not expected its request to be rejected, according to the source. The group argued that the explosives were intended for use in southern Lebanon to confront the Israeli army if Israel decided to expand its security zone.

The source said Hezbollah’s intervention amounted to an acknowledgment that the shipment belonged to the group. But the request met firm resistance, particularly from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who called for the investigation to be broadened.

Salam’s position supported a request by Judge Claude Ghanem, the government commissioner to the Military Court, to involve the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch in the investigation.

A test of State authority

The refusal to return the truck sent a message to domestic and international audiences that Lebanon had entered a new political phase, a parliamentary source told Asharq Al-Awsat. The source contrasted the current period with the political order that existed before Joseph Aoun was elected president and Salam formed his government.

The government has since adopted decisions aimed at placing all weapons under state control, beginning south of the Litani River and extending north toward the Lebanese-Syrian border, where the authorities intend to bring weapons under state authority. The source said the seizure of the explosives shipment was consistent with this policy and with cabinet decisions prohibiting the carrying, transport and use of weapons.

Allowing Hezbollah to recover the explosives would have sent the opposite message, the source argued, effectively signaling the collapse of the state-building project. It would also have weakened Lebanon’s position with the international community, which has made assistance conditional on the state establishing a monopoly on weapons.

If the explosives had been returned to Hezbollah, the source said, international partners could have abandoned their commitments to help Lebanon overcome its crisis, leaving the country off their list of priorities.

By contrast, the seizure could increase international attention to Lebanon and strengthen Beirut’s position in negotiations, the source said.

The truck driver and his companion reportedly acknowledged that the explosives were to be delivered to a man in Beirut’s southern suburbs known as “Zulfiqar.”

Hezbollah media campaign targets Salam and Aoun

The parliamentary source also highlighted a media campaign by Al-Manar, Hezbollah’s television station, against Salam over his handling of the case. The station criticized the prime minister for supporting the seizure and insisting that responsibility be established, including by identifying the person known as “Zulfiqar.”

Al-Manar also targeted Aoun after European Union member states approved sending a military mission to Lebanon to support and train the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces. The mission is intended to help the two institutions extend state authority across the country, the source said.

The dispute over the explosives shipment has become a test of whether the Lebanese authorities can enforce their decisions on weapons and security even when they concern Hezbollah, a powerful political and armed group.

Authorities signal determination to expand investigation

Judicial and security developments, together with statements from the relevant official bodies, indicate that authorities intend to press ahead with an expanded investigation into the seizure of the large explosives shipment in Dahr al-Baydar and the arrest of two Hezbollah members, Annahar reported, citing sources familiar with the case.

The sources said additional information could emerge soon, potentially leading to wider and more serious repercussions not only from the Dahr al-Baydar incident but also from similar operations involving the storage of explosives.

The case has been a central focus of official activity since the beginning of the week. According to the sources, military and security agencies have shown an unprecedented level of resolve in detecting, pursuing and tracking the smuggling and transportation of explosives.

That response signals a determination to adopt a tougher security approach and pursue all those involved, regardless of their identity, the sources said.

They added that Hezbollah had found no way to deny responsibility for the Dahr al-Baydar incident after security forces and the judiciary took a firm position against any leniency in handling the case. Authorities have insisted that the investigation be expanded and continue until the full facts are established.