IDF troops arrest unarmed man who crossed border from Lebanon

Incident follows at least three previous cases of cross-border infiltration between countries in last 2 months

The Israeli military on Thursday afternoon arrested an unarmed man who crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

Israel Defense Forces troops apprehended the suspect after monitoring him “throughout the incident,” the army said in a statement.

No weapon was found on the suspect’s person and he was taken for questioning, the IDF added.

Earlier this month, IDF troops arrested another suspect who illegally crossed the border between the countries. He was questioned and returned to Lebanon two days later.

In a separate incident this month, the IDF arrested two Lebanese men who crossed the border into Israel, and were found to be carrying 11 kilograms (25 pounds) of hashish.

The two men, identified as residents of the border village of Ghajar, were handed over to police.

The village has a long history as a point of drug smuggling between the two countries.

An American man, Colin Emery Doyle, whom Lebanon says it captured after he illegally crossed into the country through the security fence from Israel on January 15, 2019. (Hezbollah’s Central Media)

In January, the Lebanese military said it captured an American man suspected of entering Lebanon from Israel through a hole in the security fence.

The man, identified by Lebanon as Colin Emery Doyle, was questioned by intelligence officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces, under the supervision of a judge. Lebanese media published conflicting reports about his mental health.

The border crossings come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Lebanon, after an Israeli military operation uncovered six tunnels under the Israel-Lebanon border.

Israel says the tunnels were dug by the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in preparation for a major attack on the north of the country. Hezbollah has said they were old passageways not in use for years.