📰 5 sources 9 articles · 13 Oct 2026, 00:05 → 4 days ago

Lebanon: Explosive device detonated in Kafarzabad and explosives seized from Syria

The Lebanese Army found an explosive device prepared for detonation on a dirt road between Kafarzabad and Ain Kafarzabad east of Zahle in the Bekaa, and handled and detonated it in place on the night of 12-13 October 2026. This coincided with the army's announcement that it seized about 200 kg of explosives, including C-4, prepared for smuggling from Syria into Lebanon, the third shipment seized since the beginning of the month. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam discussed with Army Commander General Rodolphe Haikal the file of the explosives seized in the Qasr-Hermel area and the continuation of investigations.

📍 Where things stand: Investigations into the file of explosives seized in the Qasr-Hermel area are ongoing, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stresses uncovering all those involved and the parties behind the smuggling operations and referring them to the competent judiciary.

⏱️ Timeline

13 Oct 2026, 00:05 Al-Hadath channel quoted a security source saying the Lebanese Army found an explosive device prepared for detonation between the towns of Kafarzabad and Ain Kafarzabad in the Bekaa, weighing between 5 and 7 kilograms, and army explosives experts detonated it. In the same context, annahar.com reported that the army detonated a suspicious object found on a dirt road linking the towns of Kafarzabad and Ain Kafarzabad east of Zahle district in the Bekaa, and a video of the moment of detonation circulated.
13 Oct 2026, 00:58 annahar.com reported that the Lebanese Army seized a quantity of explosives at the Syrian border that were prepared for smuggling from Syria into Lebanon, and that the smugglers fled to Syrian territory according to its statement. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the army announced the seizure of about 200 kilograms of explosives, including the highly explosive C-4 material, prepared for smuggling from Syrian territory into Lebanon, the third shipment seized since the beginning of the current month, that the shipment was seized in the Hermel area in the Bekaa while heading to Beirut, and that the smugglers fled into the Syrian interior.
13 Oct 2026, 01:47 Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that there is "no tolerance and no overlooking" in pursuing those involved, stressing that the government will not be lenient.
13 Oct 2026, 08:37 A report by aljadeed's website addressed the spotting of a suspicious object near the Syrian border in the central Bekaa region, without the available text including additional details on the nature of the object, who found it, or the measures taken at the site.
13 Oct 2026, 10:07 Lebanon Debate reported that the Lebanese Army intervened after a strange object was suspected on the road linking Kafarzabad, Ain Kafarzabad, Qawsaya and Ra'it up to Riyak in the eastern Zahle area of the central Bekaa, cordoned off its surroundings, and the engineering regiment handled and safely detonated it. The website noted that the nature of the object and whether it actually contained explosives were not yet clear, and that the party that placed it or the circumstances of its presence were not known.
13 Oct 2026, 10:30 The Lebanese Army Command announced that a specialized unit handled an old camouflaged device prepared for detonation on the side of a secondary dirt road in the Kafarzabad - Zahle area on the night of 12-13 October 2026, dismantled it and detonated it in place due to the danger of moving it, with follow-up continuing to uncover the remaining details.
13 Oct 2026, 16:27 Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received Army Commander General Rodolphe Haikal at the Grand Serail, and they discussed the security situation in the country, especially in the south, the file of the explosives recently seized in the Qasr - Hermel area, in addition to the army's deployment and the extension of state authority. Salam saluted the efforts of the Lebanese armed forces, stressing the continuation of investigations to uncover all those involved and the parties behind the smuggling operations and to refer them to the competent judiciary, and affirming his full support for the army in protecting the borders and extending state authority.
13 Oct 2026, 16:54 Lebanon Debate reported that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam chaired at the Grand Serail a series of meetings covering security, media and service files, during which he stressed the continuation of investigations into the file of the explosives seized in the Qasr - Hermel area to uncover all those involved. The meetings included the media freedom file in a meeting with the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Journalists, Anthony Bellanger, in addition to the waste crises in Beirut and Tripoli.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Nature of the object/device found in Kafarzabad

An explosive device prepared for detonation weighing between 5 and 7 kilograms, according to a security source according to MTV Lebanon
The nature of the object and whether it actually contained explosives were not yet clear according to Lebanon Debate

Location of the seizure of the explosives smuggled from Syria

At the Syrian border according to annahar.com
In the Hermel area in the Bekaa, heading to Beirut according to الشرق الأوسط

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Coverage was divided over two levels: the local security incident of the object/device in Kafarzabad and its detonation by the army, and the file of explosives shipments smuggled from Syria along with the investigations and official reactions related to it; some sources led with the local security news and the military statement, while others led with the seized shipment and official positions, and aljadeed's report was the least detailed.

MTV Lebanon It focused on the security information relayed from Al-Hadath about a device weighing 5 to 7 kilograms, then published the Army Command statement describing it as an "old camouflaged device prepared for detonation", and later highlighted Salam's meeting with General Haikal and the explosives file.
annahar.com It described the incident as a suspicious object on a dirt road linking Kafarzabad and Ain Kafarzabad east of Zahle, noted the circulation of a video of the detonation moment, and linked the event to the army's seizure the previous day of explosives at the Syrian border with the smugglers fleeing to Syria.
الشرق الأوسط It opened with a report headlined "The C-4 seizure awakens assassination fears in Lebanon", led with the seizure of about 200 kilograms of explosives including C-4 in the Hermel area heading to Beirut, described it as the third shipment since the beginning of the month, and quoted Prime Minister Nawaf Salam saying there is "no tolerance and no overlooking" in pursuing those involved.
aljadeed Its report was limited to the spotting of a suspicious object near the Syrian border in the central Bekaa, without details on the nature of the object, who found it, or the measures taken, making it the least detailed coverage among the sources.
Lebanon Debate It led with the army's intervention, the cordoning of the object's surroundings, and its handling and safe detonation by the engineering regiment, listed the road linking Kafarzabad, Ain Kafarzabad, Qawsaya and Ra'it up to Riyak, noted that the nature of the object was unclear, and later presented Salam's meetings including media freedom and the Beirut and Tripoli waste crises.