Report: Israeli spy ring in Lebanon infiltrated Hezbollah

An Israeli espionage ring recently exposed in Lebanon had succeeded in infiltrating the ranks of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, the London-based Arabic-language daily al-Hayat reported on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Lebanese media outlets reported that a retired senior officer in the Lebanese defense apparatus had acknowledged to authorities that he had collaborated with Israeli intelligence services for a period of over ten years.

The Beirut-based Arab language newspapers Al-Akhbar and A-Safir reported that the officer, who goes by the code name "Adib", was suspected of heading a spy ring that passed along information to Israeli intelligence. The reports said that Adib's wife had also been arrested.

Adib told interrogators that his job was limited solely to providing information, and that he played no operational role in targeted killings or explosions, according to the reports.

In light of the various reports exposing the organizations' activities, Hezbollah has taken measures to overcome the infiltration and apprehend the suspects involved in espionage.

According to al-Hayat, the heads of the Lebanese security authorities held a meeting with the head of the Hezbollah security coordination unit, Wafik Safa last week. In the meeting, Safa was briefed on the Adib's interrogation, as well as the interrogation of his wife and brother, which apparently revealed information on the ring's activities within the Hezbollah ranks.

The report also revealed that Adib had been under surveillance for over six months, but the decision to arrest him was made when a concern arose that his activities could harm Hezbollah officials and the organization's activities.