Beirut, Aug 10 (UNI) Unexploded Israeli ordnance detonated during a demining operation in southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing six Lebanese soldiers and injuring several others, the army said.
The explosion occurred as an army unit inspected a weapons depot and began dismantling its contents in the Zebqine Valley in Tyre, according to a military spokesperson. An investigation is underway to determine the cause, Sputnik reported.
The Lebanese army, working with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), has been dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure under a ceasefire agreement with Israel that took effect in November.
The incident comes days after the Lebanese government approved a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah — a proposal the group has rejected, calling it an Israeli-serving demand.
Earlier this week, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said troops had discovered “a vast network of fortified tunnels” in the same area. UN officials reported finding bunkers, artillery, rocket launchers, hundreds of explosive shells and rockets, anti-tank mines, and about 250 ready-to-use improvised explosive devices.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed condolences on social media, saying Lebanon “mourns” the soldiers killed “while fulfilling their national duty.” UNIFIL head Diodato Abagnara also offered sympathy to the victims’ families.
