Lebanon’s military has said its soldiers were loyal to the institution after the US announced sanctions that included, for the first time, an army officer accused of sharing information with Hezbollah, AFP reports.

In a statement, the army said it “affirms that all officers and members of the military institution are performing their national duties with utmost professionalism, responsibility, and discipline, in accordance with the decisions and directives issued by the army command”.

It emphasised that “the loyalty of military personnel is solely to the military institution and the nation, and that they are committed to fulfilling their national duties without any other considerations or pressures”, also saying it was not informed of the sanctions beforehand.

The US had claimed that Hamadi and Nasser Eldin “shared important intelligence” with Hezbollah over the past year. It marked the first time Lebanese officers have been sanctioned by the United States.