Lebanese army seizes over 28,000 kg of ammonium nitrate in town near Syrian border

The Lebanese army announced on Tuesday that it seized thousands of kilograms of ammonium nitrate in a northeastern town near the Syrian border, weeks after 20 tonnes of the explosive substance were found in the same district.

After receiving information about the presence of ammonium nitrate in the town of Arsal, a military patrol raided a fuel station there on Monday and found 28,275 kg of the fertiliser, an army statement said.

Lebanese authorities have been hunting down stockpiles of the substance after a huge store of ammonium nitrate in the Port of Beirut exploded in August 2020, killing more than 200 people.

In the latest swoop, one Lebanese and two Syrian nationals were arrested and referred to relevant authorities for investigation.

Text on the bags they were packed in stated that the nitrogen levels in them were 26 percent, according to the statement.

While the chemical compound is predominantly used in agriculture as a high nitrogen fertiliser, it is sometimes an ingredient in the manufacture of explosives.

Lebanese authorities found tons of ammonium nitrate in Iaat in the Baalbek district last month and have arrested several people since.

Investigations are looking into whether the chemicals seized are related to the ammonium nitrate responsible for the massive Beirut port explosion.