October 19, 2026
Lebanon today
The Northern Matn District is experiencing hours of cautious security surveillance, following the discovery of a tunnel dug underground in a pine forest located between the areas of Al-Fanar and Al-Ruwaisat – Al-Jadidah, adjacent to the Al-Zaitaria neighborhood. This sparked a widespread state of alert for the Lebanese Army and called for urgent political action to uncover the nature of the site and the background to its excavation, amid fears of military connections in an area classified as politically and security-sensitive.
A lightning raid and an unknown person flees into the bush
- Tunnel discovery and field escape: Al-Fanar Municipal Police revealed the features of a tunnel extending approximately 20 meters in length, connected to a rock stairway that ends in a courtyard and then another stairway towards the depth.
- Security cordon and engineering mobilization: Simultaneously with the arrival of the security forces, an unidentified person fled from inside Al-Harjah towards the neighboring neighborhoods, which prompted Lebanese Army Intelligence to impose a tight security cordon around the place, and to call in experts from the Engineering Regiment to conduct a careful survey and determine whether the site represents the beginning of a military tunnel under construction or just a deep hole for other targets.
Video of the tunnel that was found in the forest located between Fanar and Zaitaria https://t.co/rPdh3URSON
– Lebanon Today (@lobnanlyawm) October 19, 2026
Political escalation: Warnings of “dual weapons” and demands for a comprehensive survey
The incident sparked a major political debate about self-security and illegal weapons routes:
- Sami Gemayel’s move: The head of the Lebanese Phalange Party, MP Sami Gemayel, announced his direct contact with the Minister of National Defense, calling on the army and security services to carry out a comprehensive field survey of the Ruwaisat-Al-Jadidah area and its entire surroundings following this discovery.
- An imminent danger and connection to security files: Gemayel stressed in his position that the discovery of a tunnel in the northern Matn, in parallel with the Dahr al-Baydar explosive shipments and the problems in the suburb, constitute extremely dangerous indicators that impose a final end to the duality of arms and the military organization of Hezbollah throughout Lebanese territory.
