Israeli army destroys Hezbollah underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has destroyed underground positions of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the action and announced on Platform X that the consolidation of the security zone in southern Lebanon had been completed. There was initially no confirmation of the destruction from the Lebanese side.

A week ago the army had taken control of the ridge, both above ground and below ground. According to Israeli media reports, Hezbollah fighters had holed up there for weeks. There had been repeated fighting in the area.

The Israeli army announced on the Telegram platform that the military had completely destroyed the underground infrastructure in the area of ​​the strategically important mountain range called Ali al-Taher after extensive preparations. This means that Hezbollah's ability to use this infrastructure to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers has been definitively eliminated.

Soldiers should stay

Netanyahu and Katz said it was a “strategic terror infrastructure” that had been built with Iranian funding over more than two decades. Soldiers would remain there to prevent enemy forces from returning there.

According to the army, the now destroyed infrastructure stretched for more than two kilometers. Dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and drones as well as machine guns, anti-tank missiles and hundreds of mines and explosive devices were found inside the underground facilities.

Central command center and weapons depot

According to the Army, a command center was located within the underground infrastructure. The complex included weapons depots and living quarters that would have enabled terrorists to stay underground for long periods of time. The information cannot be independently verified.

The Ali al-Taher hill chain near Nabatija is considered strategically important because of its location; it offers a view of large parts of the region. The ridge is a contested area in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and has been the focus of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon in recent months. The area has been an important area of ​​operations and influence for Hezbollah for years and is therefore a recurring flashpoint in the conflict with Israel.

The Israeli army said soldiers would continue to operate in the security zone in southern Lebanon to destroy terrorist infrastructure in the area. Despite an actual ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah repeatedly accuse each other of violating the agreement. Israel's army remains stationed in southern Lebanon and carries out attacks almost daily.