Lebanon detains former Syrian officer, network plotting coastal attacks

• Cell allegedly directed from Moscow with Hezbollah-trained members.
• Arrests come amid efforts to rebuild bilateral relations.

Lebanese authorities have arrested a five-member network, including a former Syrian intelligence officer, on suspicion of planning attacks against government forces along the Syrian coast, a Lebanese judicial source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the detained cell consists of "two Lebanese nationals and three Syrians, one of whom holds the rank of former colonel" in Syrian intelligence services.

Security forces seized a stockpile of military hardware in their possession, including automatic weapons, hand grenades, sniper rifles, and explosives.

According to the judicial source, the cell was managed remotely by a former Syrian army major general close to ousted President Bashar al-Assad, who is currently residing in Moscow.

"Initial information provided by the preliminary investigation indicates that they were planning to execute operations against government forces along the Syrian coast," the judicial source told AFP, noting that the cell's members received military training in eastern Lebanon at the hands of Hezbollah fighters.

Regional backdrop 

The targeted coastal area, home to a majority Alawite population, previously witnessed sectarian violence in March 2025.

Following the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Hezbollah publicly declared in April 2013 that its fighters were actively fighting alongside Assad’s forces, relying on Syria as a critical supply route from its key backer, Iran.

However, since Assad was ousted in late 2024, Syria's new authorities have taken an opposing stance toward Hezbollah.

Syrian authorities have repeatedly announced the arrest of groups linked to the movement and intercepted weapons shipments heading into Lebanon.

Hezbollah, for its part, denies maintaining any presence or operational activity inside Syria.

The two neighboring nations continue working to rebuild bilateral relations after decades of friction during the Assad family's rule.

Officials from both countries have emphasized their commitment to establishing a new phase based on partnership and cooperation.

As part of this security coordination, Lebanon extradited a former major general to Syrian authorities in August after he was detained under an in-absentia arrest warrant issued by Damascus, where he faces charges of murder and crimes against humanity committed during his military service.