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A British national was arrested in Lebanon on suspicion of spying for Israel, it has been reported.
The man, who has not been named publicly, was caught photographing the Ministry of Defence, which is also the headquarters for the Lebanese Army, in the Baabda District, southeast of Beirut.
Once his mobile phone was searched, authorities found a number of calls to Israel.
The man was taken to a military prison in the Lebanese capital, where he had been held for 12 days, until his release on Wednesday evening.
Metro understands that the man was supported by the UK Foreign Office and that officials are in contact with his family and Lebanese authorities.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that he is a dual British-Israeli citizen.
His arrest comes as Lebanon marked a year since the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel last November.
After a year of conflict, the decline in Israeli attacks had brought a reprieve for people in Lebanon, at least until October.
In the past two months, Israeli airstrikes have intensified again across the south and parts of the Bekaa Valley, as well as a deadly bombing in Beirut on Sunday.
Five people were killed and 28 others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting senior Hezbollah commander Haitham Tabatabai in southern Beirut.
Israeli officials claim Hezbollah is regrouping and blame the government and the Army for failing to move quickly enough to disarm the group.
Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday that his country faces a ‘war of attribution’, calling for taking all necessary precautions to confront any potential Israeli escalation.
He told a press conference in Beirut: ‘We are in a war whose pace is escalating and has taken the form of a one-sided war of attrition by Israel.
‘We will work to mobilize more Arab and international support to stop these attacks and push for an Israeli withdrawal.’
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least 331 people have been killed and 945 wounded by Israeli fire in the past year.
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