Israel destroys Hezbollah tunnels beneath Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon

Israel said Thursday it demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, triggering a 4.1 magnitude tremor.

Agence France-Presse journalists in the area heard several explosions. In a video shared by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, a huge fireball can be seen rising into the night sky.

The explosion comes a few days after Israeli authorities claimed to have taken control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, saying that the pro-Iranian Hezbollah had dug numerous tunnels there, allowing it to attack Israel from this mountainous area.

Israeli troops occupy part of southern Lebanon, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to establish a “security zone” to prevent any attacks on the north of his country.

“This is strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning,” Netanyahu and Katz said in a joint statement.

The destruction “completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge – above and below ground”, the statement added.