Hezbollah links, missing phones and torn documents: New details emerge in North Lebanon case

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

New developments in the case of five detainees arrested in the Chira area of the Koura district, near the town of Barhalioun in the Bsharri district, have heightened the attention of Lebanese security and judicial authorities as new information emerges.

According to LBCI information, the five detainees’ alleged links to Hezbollah are now considered almost certain. All five are over 35 years old, further raising investigators’ suspicions that their presence in the area was not merely a passing visit.

The five detainees are Mohammad Rashid, Hussein Dabouk from Bint Jbeil, Hassan Fneish from Tyre, Mohammad Awada from Khiam and Qozhiya Allaw from Hermel.

However, investigators’ suspicions have been fueled not only by the detainees’ identities and ages, but also by findings made after their arrest.

The five men were not carrying mobile phones. Furthermore, when the Amioun detachment raided the house in Barhalioun where they were reportedly staying, shortly after their arrest, no phones belonging to them were found there either.

This raises a key question in the investigation: Where did the phones go? Were they ever inside the house, and did others remove and conceal them?

This possibility remains under investigation, but it adds to another significant finding involving documents seized from the detainees, which they had torn up.

According to LBCI information, the documents were extensively torn. However, the fragments that investigators were able to examine contained the names of areas in North Lebanon, references to weapons, and notes suggesting the division of individuals or groups.

LBCI has learned that the five men remain under questioning, with investigators facing difficulties obtaining clear answers. According to the information, the detainees have been evasive and have repeatedly avoided answering questions directly.

In this context, LBCI learned that an entity affiliated with Hezbollah contacted Public Prosecutor Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj, requesting the handover of the five detainees.

When LBCI asked Hezbollah lawmaker Hussein Hajj Hassan about the case, he declined to comment on its details, saying he respected the judiciary and would leave the matter in its hands.

However, Hajj Hassan expressed surprise at the leaks of investigative information to the media, questioning who was behind them, particularly since the investigation remains confidential and has not yet been concluded.

Amid these developments, many questions remain unanswered in a case that Lebanese authorities are treating seriously, with the outcome of the investigation expected to provide further clarity.