Lebanese Army engineers have inspected a suspected tunnel discovered in a wooded area of Fanar in the Metn district northeast of Beirut, prompting calls demanding a comprehensive security sweep of the surrounding area.

The army said Monday that specialized units had examined the structure and found it measured about 13 meters in total, comprising a five-meter vertical shaft and an eight-meter horizontal passage. No weapons or military equipment were found inside, while several individual pits were discovered within the tunnel.

A suspect was arrested on suspicion of involvement in digging the structure, the Army said, adding that investigations were continuing to establish its intended purpose.

Initial findings suggest the excavation was small and not intended for military or security use, according to a Lebanese military source quoted by The New Arab.

“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 Municipality said it had dispatched a police patrol to a wooded area under its jurisdiction after receiving reports of suspicious activity. The patrol discovered a tunnel under construction and alerted the relevant authorities, including Army Intelligence.

Specialized teams and military engineering personnel subsequently inspected the site. According to security agency reports cited by the municipality, the excavation was intended for gold prospecting and did not connect to another exit. The municipality said it was working with the army to take the necessary steps to seal it.

Mayor Michel Salameh told The New Arab that a resident discovered the tunnel on Sunday evening and notified the municipality, which then contacted the security authorities.

The excavation was located in a remote, difficult-to-access wooded area and had been concealed by trees, Salameh said. Once the vegetation was cleared, a ladder, basic digging equipment and freshly excavated sand were found nearby.

The mayor’s preliminary assessment was that the tunnel extended about four meters underground, followed by a two-meter horizontal passage and another four-meter section. He said the excavation appeared to be recent, possibly no more than a week old, although its secluded location made it difficult to detect.

The discovery has fueled political reactions because Hezbollah maintains influence in parts of the surrounding Roueissat al-Jadideh-Zaatariyeh area. 

Kataeb calls for security sweep

Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel called on Monday for a comprehensive security operation in Roueissat al-Jadideh and neighboring areas, saying the discovery underscored the need to bring all weapons and military structures under state authority.

Gemayel said on X that he had spoken earlier in the day with Defense Minister Michel Menassa and asked him to direct the Lebanese army and security forces to search the area thoroughly. The minister had responded positively, Gemayel said.

“A tunnel in Metn, a shipment of explosives in Dahr al-Baydar, and confrontations with security forces in Beirut’s southern suburbs — these are dangerous signs that require a definitive end to the duality of arms and Hezbollah’s military organization across Lebanon,” Gemayel wrote.

He warned that Hezbollah’s continued possession of weapons and the operation of its military and security apparatus outside state control posed an imminent threat to the country.

Kataeb MP Elias Hankach also called for immediate security measures. He said party officials were coordinating with the army command to seek the deployment of troops to Roueissat and its surroundings.

Hankach called for searches of streets and buildings, the confiscation of weapons, the arrest of those involved, and the establishment of permanent security checkpoints and regular patrols.

“These steps are necessary to avert a very serious threat and ensure that Metn and Lebanon remain safe from Hezbollah’s militia and its plans,” he wrote on X.

العثور على نفق بمنطقة رويسات الجديدة https://t.co/rbfqWz86zn

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) October 19, 2026