Six Lebanese soldiers lost their lives on August 9, 2025, in a devastating explosion at a weapons depot near the Israeli border, in the southern city of Tyre. According to statements reported by Reuters and AFP, the blast occurred while the troops were inspecting and dismantling the contents of a weapons depot in Wadi Zibqin, a district close to the tense Lebanese-Israeli frontier. The incident has cast a somber shadow over Lebanon, already grappling with political divisions and the lingering aftermath of last year’s conflict with Israel.
The Lebanese army said the explosion happened as soldiers were carrying out their duties, removing munitions and unexploded ordnance left over from the recent war. Security sources, cited by Reuters, attributed the deadly blast to “remnants of the Israeli war” in the coastal region—a reference to the major Israeli strikes against Hezbollah that began in October 2023. That conflict erupted when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli positions in solidarity with Hamas at the outset of the Gaza war.
In the wake of the incident, the army released a statement confirming the deaths and injuries, adding that an investigation was underway to determine the precise cause of the explosion. A military source, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity, specified that the blast took place “inside a Hezbollah military facility.” The troops were reportedly “removing munitions and unexploded ordnance left over from the recent war” when tragedy struck.
The timing of the accident is particularly fraught. Just days before, the Lebanese government had resolved to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, tasking the army with drawing up a plan to complete the process. This decision, made under significant pressure from the United States, has met stiff resistance from Hezbollah itself, as well as from its key backer, Iran. According to AFP, Hezbollah has publicly vowed to ignore the cabinet’s directive, while Iran’s international affairs adviser Ali Akbar Velayati declared to the Tasnim news agency, “Tehran is certainly opposed to the disarmament of Hezbollah. Iran has always supported the people and the resistance of Lebanon and continues to do so.”
Lebanon’s foreign ministry responded sharply to Iran’s comments, calling them “flagrant and unacceptable interference” and reminding Tehran’s leadership to focus on its own domestic issues. The underlying tension between these regional powers and the Lebanese government’s efforts to assert control over all armed groups in the country is palpable, and the recent explosion has only heightened the sense of urgency and risk.
The November 2024 US-brokered ceasefire that ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah included a crucial stipulation: arms were to be restricted to Lebanese state institutions, and unauthorized weapons—particularly those held by non-state actors—were to be seized by Lebanese authorities. Israel, for its part, agreed to halt offensive operations against Lebanese targets. Nevertheless, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon have continued, with the Lebanese health ministry reporting that one person was killed in an Israeli strike on August 9, 2025, in the town of Ainata near the border.
In the days leading up to the explosion, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had discovered a “vast network of fortified tunnels” in the same area, according to UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti. UN spokesman Farhan Haq elaborated that the troops had uncovered a cache of artillery, rockets, mines, and improvised explosive devices—yet another reminder of the lingering dangers in southern Lebanon, where decades of conflict have left the land littered with deadly remnants.
Major General Diodato Abagnara, commander of the UN peacekeeping force, expressed his condolences and underscored the importance of the soldiers’ mission: “The soldiers were simply doing their job to restore stability and avoid a return to open conflict.” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echoed this sentiment, paying tribute to the troops who were killed “while performing their national duty,” and describing the army as the protector of Lebanon’s “unity and its legitimate institutions.” President Joseph Aoun was also informed of the “painful incident” by army commander Rodolphe Haykal, as reported by AFP.
International reactions poured in quickly. US envoy Tom Barrack, who has been at the forefront of Washington’s push for Hezbollah’s disarmament, extended the administration’s “deepest condolences” over the “loss of these brave servicemen.” Even Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar offered his “sincerest condolences to the Lebanese army,” a rare gesture that hints at the shared sense of national tragedy, even amid political discord.
The explosion is not the first such incident in recent months. In April, the Lebanese military reported that three soldiers were killed in a munitions blast, just days after another was killed while dismantling mines in a tunnel. These repeated tragedies underscore the perilous nature of the army’s mission in southern Lebanon, where unexploded ordnance and hidden weapons caches remain a constant threat to both soldiers and civilians.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Lebanese government has been tasked with presenting a plan by the end of August for the disarmament of non-state actors, including Hezbollah. The government also called for the deployment of Lebanese troops in border areas and for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from five southern areas they continue to occupy. However, the political reality on the ground is complicated by Hezbollah’s refusal to comply and Iran’s open opposition to the disarmament effort.
Meanwhile, Israel has stated it will continue strikes on Hezbollah targets until the militant group is fully disarmed, further raising the risk of renewed conflict. The Lebanese government’s recent discussion of a US proposal for Hezbollah’s disarmament included a timetable, but no specific dates were agreed upon. The situation remains tense, with the potential for further violence if negotiations falter or if another incident like the Tyre explosion occurs.
For the people of southern Lebanon, the dangers of war linger long after the last shots are fired. The deaths of six soldiers on August 9 serve as a grim reminder of the price paid by those tasked with clearing the way for peace, and of the complex, often perilous path that lies ahead for Lebanon as it seeks to reclaim stability and sovereignty in a region beset by conflict and competing interests.
