Lebanese authorities arrested a five-member network of Syrians and Lebanese accused of planning attacks on government forces in Syria’s coastal region during the March 2025 violence, with support from a former Syrian officer living in Russia.

A judicial source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, September 2, that the network includes two Lebanese and three Syrians, one of whom was a former colonel in the intelligence services of the former Syrian regime.

The Syrian colonel is Manaf Ali Safi, who headed one of the former Syrian regime’s security branches, according to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

Lebanese authorities seized machine guns, hand grenades, sniper rifles, and explosives from the group, according to the source cited by AFP, who requested anonymity.

Judicial sources cited but not named by Asharq Al-Awsat said the type of weapons seized “raises the level of concern over the nature of the mission the group was preparing for, particularly as the investigations are examining the possibility of security targets extending beyond mere military training.”

The judicial source cited by AFP said the network was run by a former Syrian army officer with the rank of major general who lives in the Russian capital, Moscow, and is close to ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

Asharq al-Awsat, citing its sources, identified the officer as Major General Mohammad Jaber, who formerly commanded the Desert Hawks Brigade and is currently in Moscow. He is known for his close ties to ousted Syrian President Assad.

Members of the network received military training in eastern Lebanon from fighters affiliated with Lebanese Hezbollah, which was a key ally of Assad, according to AFP.

Asharq Al-Awsat said the network was working to bring fighters from Syria into Lebanon across the northern border, before transferring them to Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and then to a training camp in the Baalbek-Hermel area.

Members of the network underwent training by Hezbollah fighters and personnel under the direction of a person known as “Hajj Alaa,” according to Asharq al-Awsat.

The newspaper said preliminary information indicates the existence of a broader network inside Syria comprising more than 50 former regime members. They allegedly arrange the movement of fighters from Syria into Lebanon and monitor the movements of Syrian forces inside Syria.

Syrian Coast Events

Judicial and security sources cited by Asharq Al-Awsat said the detainees claimed the stated purpose of the training was “to prepare to confront any potential attack by the current Syrian forces on Lebanon’s Bekaa region.”

According to AFP, information obtained from the preliminary investigation indicates that the group was planning operations against government forces in Syria’s coastal region during the March 2025 events, which witnessed violence of a sectarian nature.

Sources cited by Asharq al-Awsat said they believed the network’s mission went beyond “claims of military preparations to confront a possible Syrian intervention” and extended to attempts to provoke unrest and security chaos inside Lebanon and carry out assassinations.

More importantly, the sources said the network planned to carry out operations in Syria’s coastal region, basing that assessment on the types of weapons seized, particularly explosives, military machine guns, sniper rifles, and hand grenades, according to the newspaper.

The coastal events took place in March 2025 following actions by groups the Syrian government refers to as “remnants of the regime” against government forces.

Those actions were followed by deadly violence that included sectarian killings, as the coastal region is predominantly inhabited by members of the Alawite community, to which ousted Syrian President Assad and a number of his senior officers belong.

Lebanon as a Gateway for Former Regime Elements

Lebanon is considered a principal gateway for the movements of elements affiliated with the former Syrian regime. Several reports have indicated that people involved in carrying out the coastal violence were present in Lebanon, with facilitation and support from Hezbollah.

The Syrian-Lebanese border is difficult to control and sees repeated smuggling operations because of its intertwined geography.

Sources cited by Asharq al-Awsat also said a member of Lebanon’s State Security agency was involved with the group. He was arrested early Wednesday after remaining in hiding for more than a week.

The sources said the State Security member is the brother of one of the detainees and, together with another person, transported and concealed a quantity of weapons that had been hidden in the town of Tall Bire in Akkar, near the Syrian border.

The sources said Tall Bire serves as a gathering point for fighters arriving from Syrian territory before they are transferred to Beirut’s southern suburbs.

A number of senior former Syrian regime officers are living in Moscow, where Assad sought refuge, amid reports that these officers are directing military activities inside Syria.