Six Lebanese soldiers killed in weapons depot blast amid Hezbollah disarmament

In a statement, the Lebanese army said the unit was dismantling the contents of the depot in the Wadi Zibqin area, in the Tyre region, when the explosion occurred. It said other soldiers were injured but did not specify how many.

"An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident," the statement said, according to Al Jazeera.

The Lebanese army has been working with the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) to dismantle Hezbollah military infrastructure as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel that came into force in November, Al Jazeera reported.

The deadly explosion comes as the Lebanese government this week approved United States-backed plans to disarm Hezbollah - a move the Lebanese group has rejected, saying such demands serve Israeli interests.

It also comes just days after Andrea Tenenti, a spokesperson for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, said troops had "discovered a vast network of fortified tunnels" in the same area.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq had told reporters that peacekeepers and Lebanese troops found "three bunkers, artillery, rocket launchers, hundreds of explosive shells and rockets, anti-tank mines and about 250 ready-to-use improvised explosive devices," Al Jazeera reported.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a social media post on Saturday that "Lebanon mourns" the soldiers who were killed "while fulfilling their national duty."

Diodato Abagnara, head of the UNIFIL mission, also expressed condolences to the troops and their families.

"Several dedicated Lebanese soldiers were killed and others injured, simply doing their job to restore stability and avoid a return to open conflict," Abagnara wrote on X. "Sincere wishes for a full and fast recovery for the injured. Peacekeepers will continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and their work to restore stability, however we can." (ANI)