Lebanon arrests five Hezbollah men caught with maps and sniper-rifle notes far from Israel; PM says 'the era of impunity is over'

Lebanese security forces arrested five Hezbollah members in the mountains of northern Lebanon on Tuesday after a patrol found them carrying maps and documents, some of which they tried to destroy, the Jerusalem Post reports, citing Lebanese officials and media.

An Internal Security Forces patrol came across the men by chance in the highlands between Batroun and Bcharre, according to the Arabic outlet Al-Modon. The men looked nervous and began tearing up papers, so officers detained them and searched the area. Beirut Time journalist Riad Tawk reported that the documents listed locations across the Koura, Batroun and Bsharri districts, which are mostly Christian, and referred to weapons including sniper rifles. The ISF's Information Branch is questioning the five.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, speaking from Turkey, said he had called the interior and justice ministers, the prosecutor general and the ISF chief. "The era of impunity is over," he said. "The investigations that have been opened will have no other limits than those imposed by the law."

Lebanese MP Ghassan Yazbeck pointed out that the area is nowhere near Israel and said the Iran-backed group appeared to be preparing for violence against its Lebanese neighbors. He blamed the government's "laxity" over Hezbollah's weapons for letting the militia spread deeper into Lebanon. He also recalled that Hezbollah recently justified an attempt to smuggle 500 kg of explosives into Beirut by claiming they were meant for Israel.