Khaberni - The Lebanese Army announced on Tuesday the thwarting of an attempt to smuggle rockets from Syrian territory into Lebanon, in a security operation that resulted in the seizure of "Grad" model rockets, and the arrest of two members of a smuggling network, coinciding with the start of a new round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in the Italian capital, Rome.
The army stated, in a statement, that a military unit carried out a security operation in the area of Jurd Arsal, as part of efforts to monitor smuggling operations across the northern and eastern borders, where they were able to seize 122 mm Grad rockets that had been smuggled from Syria into Lebanon, in addition to a "pick-up" truck that was used in their transport.
The statement added that the military force detained two individuals belonging to the smuggling network, and carried out raid operations to track down the rest of the network's members, with ammunition and military equipment seized.
The Lebanese Army confirmed that the seized items were handed over to the competent authorities, and that investigations with the detainees began under the supervision of the competent judiciary, with continued pursuits to arrest the rest of the involved parties.
The Syrian authorities announced in mid-July that they thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of weapons and rockets across the border with Iraq, including long-range rockets, anti-tank guided missiles, and drones, en route to Lebanon for what they described as the "Hezbollah terrorist militia".
Seventh round of negotiations
The security operation takes place at a time when, on Tuesday, the seventh round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations is launched in the Italian capital, Rome, which will last for three days, amid efforts to stabilize the security arrangements on the southern border.
An American diplomatic source stated that technical teams would handle a number of issues related to the implementation of the framework agreement during the new round, including enhancing the work of the pilot zones and resolving outstanding border issues.
The source added that the talks would also address mechanisms to ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah, and make progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement, confirming that the framework agreement should enable the Lebanese state to regain its authority over the entire south.
The source emphasized the need to dismantle the infrastructure associated with Hezbollah's weapons to achieve lasting security in Lebanon, confirming that the weapons must be exclusively under the control of the Lebanese state.
