Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters via a screen during a ceremony celebrating the birthday anniversary of Prophet Mohammed in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Jan. 9, 2015.

The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group has confirmed that a senior operative in the organization has been apprehended for spying for Israel.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah says the man in question held a senior position in a “sensitive” Hezbollah security unit and was detained by the group five months ago.

The confirmation from Nasrallah comes weeks after local newspapers published unconfirmed reports that a high-level Hezbollah member had been spying for Israel, and identified the man as Mohammad Shorba.

It’s not the first time Hezbollah has acknowledged spies in its midst.

But Thursday’s revelation comes at a time the Shiite Muslim party, a traditional foe of Israel, is mired in fighting alongside President Bashar Assad’s forces in Syria.

Nasrallah spoke in an interview with Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen channel broadcast Thursday.

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