Hezbollah brag of 100,000-strong force aimed at foes at home

By ZEINA KARAM and BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — A boast by the leader of Hezbollah that he commands 100,000 fighters has come as a surprise to many Lebanese. That’s not least because it was addressed to a domestic audience rather than the group’s archenemy Israel. That figure would exceed the size of Lebanon’s army by about 15,000 armed men. Experts say the Hezbollah claim is likely an exaggeration. But is is further raising sectarian tensions in the small country roiled by multiple crises. The Hezbollah claim on Monday evening is part of a growing confrontation over a judicial investigation into last year’s massive Beirut port explosion that killed more than 215 people.