BEIRUT, Lebanon — 5 Lebanese troopers have been killed Saturday in a blast whereas eradicating munitions from a Hezbollah navy facility in south Lebanon, a navy supply instructed AFP.
“5 troopers have been killed in an explosion… inside a Hezbollah navy facility,” the supply mentioned, requesting anonymity as they weren’t approved to temporary the media, including that the incident happened because the troops have been “eradicating munitions and unexploded ordnance left over from the latest battle” between Israel and Hezbollah.
The military didn’t instantly difficulty an announcement, however Lebanese President Joseph Aoun mentioned he spoke to military commander Rodolphe Haykal a few “painful incident” that led to quite a few useless and wounded from the military on account of a munitions explosion as an engineering unit “was working to take away and disable” the ordnance, a presidency assertion mentioned Saturday.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute on X to the troops who have been killed “whereas performing their nationwide obligation.”
The announcement got here after Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, mentioned Thursday that troops had “found an enormous community of fortified tunnels” in the identical space.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq had instructed reporters that peacekeepers and Lebanese troops discovered “three bunkers, artillery, rocket launchers, a whole lot of explosive shells and rockets, anti-tank mines and about 250 ready-to-use improvised explosive units.”
It got here after the Lebanese authorities on Thursday voted to approve a US proposal that may in the end result in disarming the Hezbollah terror group, after tasking the military earlier within the week with drawing up a plan to ascertain a state monopoly on arms by the tip of the 12 months, a problem to Hezbollah.
The choice to disarm the group prompted Hezbollah ministers and Muslim Shi’ite allies to stroll out of the cupboard’s dialogue on the plan, three Lebanese political sources instructed Reuters.
Submitted by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the area, Tom Barrack, the plan units out probably the most detailed steps but for disarming the Iran-backed group, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since final 12 months’s devastating battle with Israel.
Along with disarming Hezbollah, the US proposal would additionally result in ending Israel’s navy operations within the nation and the withdrawal of its troops from 5 positions in southern Lebanon.
