ISTANBUL

Lebanon said Tuesday that it had arrested three foreign nationals suspected of involvement in “suspicious activities related to collaboration" with Israel.

The arrests were "based on precise intelligence and investigations," the country's General Directorate of General Security said in a statement.

Following the necessary interrogations conducted under the supervision of the judiciary, "the individuals confessed" to providing Israel "with security-sensitive information that contributed to causing severe damage, resulting in significant losses of life and property in Lebanon," the directorate stated.

"After the completion of legal procedures, the detainees were handed over to the competent judicial authorities to pursue legal action against them in accordance with applicable laws," it added.

The directorate, however, did not specify the nationalities of those arrested.

The arrests came as Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah frequently exchange fire amid an ongoing regional escalation.

At least 52 people were killed and over 150 others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon since Monday.

Regional tensions escalated when the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing nearly 800 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries which are home to US assets.