The discovery of a tunnel northeast of Beirut has sparked fresh tensions in Lebanon, with opposition lawmakers demanding a security crackdown amid suspicions over possible links to Hezbollah.
Lebanese army engineers launched an investigation on Monday after a tunnel was discovered in the Fanar-Zaitariyeh area of the Metn district, prompting calls for a comprehensive security sweep and the arrest of those responsible.
The discovery comes just over a week after Lebanese security forces intercepted a shipment of explosives belonging to Hezbollah in Dahr al-Baydar, raising tensions between the group and its political opponents.
However, a Lebanese military source told The New Arab that initial investigations suggested the newly discovered tunnel was small and was not intended for military or security purposes.
"Inspections and investigations are continuing, but so far it has emerged that the tunnel is small and was not prepared for military or security use," the source said.
Fanar mayor Michel Salameh told The New Arab that a resident discovered the tunnel on Sunday evening and alerted the municipality, which subsequently contacted the security authorities.
Salameh said the tunnel was located in a remote wooded area that was difficult to access, with the excavation concealed by trees.
تواصلت صباحاً مع وزير الدفاع، وطلبت منه اجراء الجيش والقوى الأمنية مسحاً شاملاً لمنطقة الرويسات - الجديدة ومحيطها، عقب اكتشاف نفق في المنطقة. وأبدى تجاوباً مع المطلب. نفق في المتن، شحنة متفجرات في ضهر البيدر، ومواجهات مع قوى الأمن في الضاحية… مؤشرات خطيرة تفرض وضع حدّ نهائي لازدواجية السلاح والتنظيم العسكري لحزب الله على كامل الأراضي اللبنانية. استمرار عمل السلاح غير الشرعي والتنظيم العسكري والأمني لحزب الله يشكل خطر داهم، وعلى الدولة الحسم حفاظاً على لبنان.
— Samy Gemayel (@samygemayel) October 19, 2026
When the vegetation was removed, a ladder, basic digging equipment and freshly excavated sand were discovered nearby.
"The tunnel is located in a wooded area in a remote spot that is difficult to reach," Salameh said, adding that the municipality had immediately informed army intelligence, which dispatched an engineering unit to inspect the site.
According to the mayor's preliminary assessment, the tunnel was approximately four metres deep, extended horizontally for two metres and then continued for another four metres.
He suggested that the excavation appeared recent, possibly dating back no more than a week, although its location made it difficult to detect.
Hezbollah accused as lawmakers demand security sweep
The discovery quickly prompted accusations against Hezbollah, which maintains influence in parts of the surrounding Zaitariyeh-Roueissat al-Jadideh area.
However, no evidence establishing Hezbollah's involvement in the tunnel's construction has been announced.
Lebanese Kataeb Party leader and MP Sami Gemayel said he had contacted Defence Minister Michel Menassa on Monday morning to demand a comprehensive security sweep of Roueissat al-Jadideh and its surroundings.
Gemayel said the minister had responded positively to his request.
"A tunnel in Metn, an explosives shipment in Dahr al-Baydar, and confrontations with security forces in the southern suburbs... dangerous indicators that require a definitive end to the duality of arms and Hezbollah's military organisation across all Lebanese territory," Gemayel said.
He warned that the continued operation of Hezbollah's military and security structures outside state authority posed a serious threat to Lebanon.
Kataeb MP Elias Hankach, who represents the area, also called for immediate army intervention.
He said he was contacting the Lebanese army command to demand searches of streets and buildings in Roueissat and neighbouring areas, the confiscation of weapons, arrests of those involved and the establishment of permanent security checkpoints and patrols.
The accusations come amid growing calls from Hezbollah's opponents for the Lebanese authorities to accelerate efforts to bring all weapons under exclusive state control.
Explosives seizure deepens political divisions
The tunnel controversy follows the seizure of a shipment of explosives in Dahr al-Baydar, on a route linking Beirut to the Bekaa Valley and Syria, more than a week ago.
Hezbollah acknowledged ownership of the explosives, insisting they were intended exclusively for use against Israel, and demanded their return along with the release of those detained.
The case has become a major point of contention between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, with authorities pledging to pursue those involved in transporting and possessing weapons outside state control.
Further tensions erupted on Friday evening in the Galerie Semaan area at the entrance to Beirut's southern suburbs, when Hezbollah members confronted security personnel who had arrived to seal a pharmaceutical warehouse.
The incident was subsequently contained, but it fuelled criticism from Hezbollah's opponents over the group's continued security presence in areas where it holds considerable influence.
Lebanese security forces have intensified operations in recent days, including in Beirut's southern suburbs and the eastern Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel regions, targeting wanted suspects, smuggling networks and unauthorised crossings along the Syrian border.
Hezbollah warns government over rising tensions
Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, warned on Monday that the Lebanese authorities bore "full responsibility for pushing the country towards dangerous internal tensions".
In a statement distributed by Hezbollah's media relations office, Fayyad accused the government of confronting a major component of Lebanese society and pursuing policies dictated by foreign powers.
He argued that the dispute had expanded beyond Hezbollah's weapons to encompass the movement's social, institutional and political presence.
"The authorities deliberately, knowingly and persistently expanded the dispute with the resistance, so that it is no longer limited to the issue of weapons," Fayyad said.
He also accused the government of compromising Lebanese sovereignty and failing to confront Israel's continued occupation and attacks.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meanwhile, reiterated on Sunday that lasting stability could not be achieved without extending state authority across all Lebanese territory.
"Stability will not be established in the country unless the state's authority is extended over all its territory, even gradually, exclusively through its own forces," Salam said.
The prime minister said he had contacted army commander General Rodolphe Haykal and Internal Security Forces chief Major General Raed Abdallah to commend the increased deployment of security personnel across Greater Beirut.
The measures followed overnight gatherings in the capital that had raised public concerns about security.
Salam also met Justice Minister Adel Nassar and Public Prosecutor Rami al-Hajj to review the investigation into the Dahr al-Baydar explosives shipment and ensure that everyone involved in possessing or transporting unauthorised weapons was brought before the judiciary.
He stressed that there would be no limits to the investigation beyond those imposed by law.
Salam further urged political groups to prioritise Lebanon's national interests over foreign agendas, reiterating that decisions over war and peace must remain exclusively in the hands of the state and its constitutional institutions.
His comments followed a telephone conversation last week in which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to hold those responsible for ordering, financing and directing the explosives shipment accountable.
Rubio also insisted that returning the seized explosives to Hezbollah should be ruled out entirely.
The latest incidents have heightened concerns over internal instability as Lebanon faces continued Israeli military attacks and occupation in the south.