The Lebanese Army on Thursday uncovered 4.35 tons of ammonium nitrate near Beirut Port. An estimated 3,000 tons of the same explosive material that caused the catastrophic blast at the same port a month ago, the Daily Star of Lebanon reported.
The dangerous chemical was stored in four containers outside the port and the military found no details pointing the origin of the chemicals or the identity of their owner.
The Army issued a statement saying customs officials called in the military to inspect the containers at a facility near the port, where they found 4.35 tons of ammonium nitrate. Army engineers are “dealing with the material,” according to the statement, which could mean they destroyed it.
On August 4, 191 people were killed, more than 6,000 injured and whole neighborhoods in Beirut were destroyed by a blast that left an estimated 300,000 Lebanese homeless and caused billions in damages.
French and FBI officials are aiding Lebanese authorities in the investigation of the August 4 explosion. So far, 25 suspects have been detained in relation to the blast, most of them port and customs officials.