Lebanese army seizes Grad rockets smuggled from Syria

The Lebanese army said Tuesday it seized Grad rockets smuggled from Syria and arrested two suspects believed to be involved in the cross-border trafficking operation.

A military statement said an army unit seized 122 mm Grad rockets on the outskirts of the eastern town of Arsal near the Syrian border after they had been smuggled into Lebanon.

Troops stopped a pickup truck used to transport the rockets and arrested two Lebanese citizens described as members of the smuggling network, the statement added.

The army said its units carried out raids in search of other members of the network, seizing ammunition and military equipment during the operation.

It did not identify the intended recipient of the weapons or specify any affiliation of the suspects.

The statement said the seized weapons had been handed over to the relevant authorities and that the suspects were being investigated, while efforts continued to apprehend the remaining members of the network.

Last month, Syrian authorities said that they had foiled an attempt to smuggle “advanced weapons and rockets” across the border with Iraq, saying the shipment was destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

​​​​​​​The Syria-Lebanon border stretches about 375 kilometers (233 miles) across mountains, valleys and plains, with much of it lacking fences or clearly marked boundary lines.