- Six soldiers died during clearance of munitions at a Hezbollah facility in Tyre.
- Blast linked to remnants from past Israeli conflict; probe underway.
- National leaders mourn loss, calling troops protectors of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Six members of the Lebanese army were killed on Saturday when an explosion ripped through a Hezbollah military site in the southern city of Tyre. The soldiers, part of an engineering unit, were inspecting and dismantling munitions believed to be leftovers from previous Israeli conflicts.
President Joseph Aoun described the incident as a “painful loss” following his conversation with army commander Rodolphe Haykal, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam praised the soldiers’ service and sacrifice.
Lebanon Mourns Six Soldiers Killed in Hezbollah Depot Explosion
The blast occurred at a weapons storage site formerly operated by Hezbollah, which has been gradually dismantled under a truce agreement signed in November. Army engineers were working to make the facility safe when the munitions exploded without warning. Officials have linked the stored ordnance to past hostilities with Israel, which left behind dangerous remnants across southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese army confirmed in a brief statement that the explosion took place during an inspection of the depot’s contents. Eyewitnesses reported a loud detonation followed by smoke rising from the outskirts of Tyre, prompting emergency services to rush to the scene.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam posted a public message honoring the soldiers, calling them “guardians of sovereignty” and pledging that Lebanon would stand united in grief and resilience. He emphasized that their loss serves as a reminder of the dangers faced daily by those securing the nation’s borders and dismantling the remnants of war.
The incident highlights the persistent challenge of clearing munitions and explosives in Lebanon’s south, an area long affected by armed conflict. UN peacekeeping forces have recently intensified cooperation with the Lebanese military to identify and neutralize hazardous stockpiles, but Saturday’s tragedy underscores the deadly unpredictability of the task.
The deaths of the six soldiers have reignited calls for accelerated clearance of war remnants, ensuring no more lives are lost to weapons of past conflicts.
“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – José Narosky
