What caused the deadly explosion that killed six Lebanese army soldiers? Here’s what we know so far

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The Lebanese army’s mission to centralize weapons under its control is fraught with danger. On Saturday, six soldiers from the Engineering Regiment and the 5th Infantry Brigade were killed while searching tunnels.

The tragic incident likely took place at a Hezbollah site in the Wadi Zibqin area, uncovered by the French UNIFIL battalion and announced on August 7. The site included a tunnel housing a 130mm artillery position and an ammunition depot.

The tunnel is deep in a remote valley with a single entrance and exit. It is shaped like an “L,” with artillery positioned in one direction and ammunition stored in another, both in the same spot. This differs from conventional armies, which typically store ammunition and firing mechanisms separately to safeguard supplies.

While the Lebanese army was moving one of the ammunition crates, an explosion occurred. How it happened remains under investigation.

The Lebanese army launched an investigation under the supervision of Judge Fadi Akiki, the Military Court's Government Commissioner. The site was examined, and testimony was taken from one of the wounded surviving soldiers.

Although the exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, the leading theory is that the ammunition crate was booby-trapped, causing it to detonate during transport. Such booby traps are often left in abandoned caches as part of warfare. Israeli forces had penetrated part of Wadi Zibqin during the ceasefire.

Supporting this theory, an inspection of the unexploded ammunition showed it lacked a fuse that would cause it to explode automatically. Fuses were found in other crates. Typically, armies store weapons safely to prevent accidental explosions from shocks or malfunctions.

If the explosion was caused by a booby trap, sources say metal detectors may give false signals in areas with high metal content, making it harder to detect explosives.

Therefore, the mission requires the highest level of coordination among all parties involved and possibly alternative methods to dispose of ammunition safely to prevent further loss of life.