Missing artifacts and adultery: Man confesses to murder in Zahleh, according to ISF

A Lebanese man born in 1977 has confessed to murdering a Syrian national (born in 1984) in a remote area of the Zahleh district, following a dispute over missing antiquities believed to be gold artifacts. The crime, which took place in the Wadi al-Dalam region, has led to multiple arrests and the recovery of the victim's body, according to a statement issued by the Internal Security Forces on Tuesday.

The Zahleh Judicial Detachment received verified information on July 29, 2025, stating that the Syrian victim had been struck on the head in an unknown mountainous area. Acting swiftly, authorities launched a targeted field operation, setting up an ambush that led to the arrest of the primary suspect in the town of Qabb Elias.

Simultaneously, a Syrian woman born in 1997 — identified as the ex-wife of the victim — was arrested in Hosh Barada (Baalbeck) just hours before an attempted escape into Syria. She is suspected of involvement in the murder.

During interrogation, the male suspect admitted to a romantic relationship with the woman, which she denied. Upon being confronted with evidence, he confessed to shooting the victim twice with a handgun, assisted by a Syrian accomplice born in 1988, who had earlier struck the victim with a rock. The accomplice fled to Syria immediately after the arrests.

The suspect further revealed that the killing stemmed from a dispute over gold artifacts the three had discovered during illegal excavation activities about a year prior. Believing the victim had hidden the treasures, the suspect murdered him and concealed the body in a previously dug excavation site approximately two kilometers from the crime scene.

Authorities were able to locate and retrieve the body, and the investigation remains ongoing under the supervision of the competent judiciary.