The Lebanese Army Command confirmed Saturday that the military arrested five Syrians in the southern town of Nabatiyeh after seizing explosives and ammunition from them, the National News Agency reported.

The army issued a statement one day after media reports said five men were arrested in the Nabatiyeh neighborhood of al-Maslakh as they were planning to detonate explosives during a religious ceremony to be held in Nabatiyeh on Saturday.

The statement said "As part of security measures taken by military units throughout Lebanese territories and after receiving information about some people carrying out a suspicious security activity in a housing area in the city of Nabatiyeh, a patrol raided the area and arrested the five Syrians."

"The patrol seized explosives, mortar ammunition with Hebrew letters and a detonator," according to the statement.