Syrian authorities intercepted a large shipment of 6,000 explosive detonators that were being smuggled to Lebanon, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.
The Syrian authorities did not say whether the explosive devices were destined for Hezbollah, but Hezbollah is the main terrorist group in Lebanon that would likely want to import systems like this.
“The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of explosive detonators intended for use in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), as the shipment was being transported toward Lebanese territory,” North Press Agency, a Syrian news agency, reported Thursday.
In an official statement, the ministry said the operation had “resulted in the seizure of approximately 6,000 explosive detonators, describing it as one of the largest confiscations of its kind in recent months,” the report said, adding that “authorities did not disclose further details regarding the location of the seizure or the individuals involved in the smuggling attempt. Explosive detonators are commonly used in the assembly of IEDs, which have been widely employed throughout the Syrian conflict by various actors, posing ongoing security risks to civilians and security forces.”
Iranian-backed terrorist groups have used IEDs for many years in the region. After 2003, Iran helped Iraqi insurgents create what are called Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs), a type of IED that killed many Americans.
Syria has stopped smuggling to Hezbollah in the past. Since the fall of the Assad regime, the new government has acted against Iranian-backed smuggling.
“On June 7, 2025, Syrian security forces captured a weapons-smuggling cell in the Syrian city of Talkalakh, located near the border between Syria and northern Lebanon,” the Alma Research and Education Center, which covers security issues on Israel’s northern border, reported last June. “The capture of the smuggling cell thwarted an attempt to smuggle 200 Iranian-made 107-mm. rockets intended for Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
“Iranian rockets of this type, which are well known to be used by Hezbollah, were seized by the IDF during the ground maneuver in southern Lebanon and were displayed at a captured weapons exhibition held by the IDF in December 2024,” the report said. “... Along the approximately 400-km. border between Lebanon and Syria, there are over 130 smuggling routes.”
In January 2025, the Syrian authorities also prevented a shipment of rifles from reaching Hezbollah.
Syria uncovers tunnel near Lebanon border, likely used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah
In recent days, Syria had uncovered a tunnel near the border with Lebanon that was likely used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah, state-run Syrian News Channel (Al-Ikhbaria) reported. The tunnel was near the area of Qusayr in Homs province in Syria and borders northern Lebanon. Hezbollah has used Qusayr as a key crossing to Syria since 2012.
More details about the detonators were reported by London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The Internal Security Directorate in Nabk said it dismantled a plan to move a large quantity of explosive detonators used in making improvised explosive devices, adding the shipment was bound for Lebanon,” the report said.
The Syrian authorities used field surveillance to catch the culprits, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
“The developments come amid fears Syria could be drawn into a wider conflict through Lebanon and efforts to disarm Hezbollah, with backing from the United States and Israel,” the report said.
Syria said it had also detained five people linked to Hezbollah on April 11, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
“Authorities said a woman in the cell was caught attempting to carry out an attack by planting an explosive device near the home of a religious figure in Bab Touma, close to the Mariamite Cathedral [of Damascus],” the report said. “Media reports identified the target as Rabbi Michael Houri.”