Lebanon has issued arrest warrants for two detained men described as Hezbollah members as part of the investigation into a truck carrying explosives seized on the main Beirut–Bekaa highway, the country's National News Agency reported.

First Military Investigative Judge Ghada Abu Alwan issued the warrants on Thursday for Ali al-Kurdi and Haitham Amhaz after questioning them in the presence of their lawyer. The warrants place the two men under formal judicial detention as the investigation proceeds. The judge postponed until 17 November the questioning of six other defendants who remain at liberty, after their lawyer filed procedural objections.

Lebanon's military prosecutor charged 13 people on 30 October over the shipment, which was seized on 5 October at the Dahr al Baidar checkpoint. The vehicle was carrying nearly 800 kilograms of explosives and related materials on its way from the Bekaa Valley towards Beirut. Hezbollah acknowledged ownership of the shipment on 15 October, saying the material was intended for use against Israeli forces.

A test of the state's authority over weapons

The charges include membership in unauthorised armed groups, transporting explosives to undermine state authority, and conduct exposing Lebanon to hostile acts by a foreign state. Hezbollah called the charges unjust, saying the men had performed a "national duty" in defence of Lebanon.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told his cabinet that storing or transporting weapons outside legally authorised institutions violates Lebanese law, regardless of the stated justification, and that the state alone holds authority over weapons and decisions of war and peace.

The case comes as the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL prepares to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with its mandate due to expire on 31 December 2026. Lebanon's government has been pressing its claim to a monopoly on arms as Israeli strikes on the south continue.