Weapons seized by State Security from Syrian nationals in the city of Zahle in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. (Credit: NNA)
State Security agents announced on Tuesday the seizure of a substantial quantity of weapons in the Bekaa Valley city of Zahle.
According to a statement released by the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the weapons cache was concealed on the property of an individual identified as A.S. in a tent where two Syrian nationals, identified as M.D. and H.N., were residing.
During the search of the tent, agents uncovered an arsenal comprising "weapons of war, hunting firearms, military equipment, as well as multiple mobile phones and cameras," the NNA reported.
The NNA report added that the two Syrians were arrested for illegal possession of weapons and for being present in Lebanon without proper documentation, and they were handed over to the competent judicial authorities. Investigators are continuing their efforts to identify other individuals involved in this case, the NNA added.
The Bekaa Valley, where weapons often circulate freely as the state struggles to assert its authority, is frequently the scene of violent clashes between rival groups and clans, at times involving the Lebanese Army.