Lebanon charges 13 over Hezbollah explosives shipment - United News of Bangladesh

A Lebanese military court has charged 13 people over a truck carrying explosives belonging to Hezbollah that was seized earlier this month, state media reported Friday.

The charges highlight shifting relations between Lebanon and the Iran-backed group following two wars with Israel in the past three years.

Two suspects arrested during the seizure remain in custody, while 11 others have been charged in absentia. Five were identified only by nicknames. The cases were referred to investigative judge Claude Ghanem.

The charges include threatening internal state security, possessing weapons and explosives, and forming illegal groups to undermine state authority, the state-run media reported.

The truck was intercepted at a checkpoint on the highway linking Beirut with the eastern Bekaa Valley. Judicial officials said it carried 780 kilogrammes of explosives, including 250 kilogrammes each of TNT and C-4 plastic explosives.

The seizure triggered public debate, with critics accusing Hezbollah of planning attacks against domestic opponents. The group acknowledged ownership of the explosives, saying they were intended to target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, and demanded the shipment's return and the detainees' release.

In March, the government banned Hezbollah's military activities after it fired rockets into northern Israel, triggering a war that has killed nearly 4,000 people in Lebanon and left Israeli forces occupying a large area of southern Lebanon.

The group has rejected the government's decision. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the charges.