Israel said Thursday that it had demolished key underground tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation targeted what they described as strategic terrorist infrastructure constructed over two decades with Iranian funding and planning. They said the destruction of the tunnels completed Israel's operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge, both above and below ground.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israel carried out what it described as a "massive explosion" on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region. The blast reportedly caused tremors and a powerful rumble in the surrounding area. AFP journalists in southern Lebanon also reported hearing what they described as huge explosions on Thursday evening, providing an indication of the scale of the demolition operation.
The Israeli army said the underground infrastructure stretched for more than two kilometres and contained a significant amount of military equipment. According to the army, the tunnel network held dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with machine guns and dozens of anti-tank missiles. It also reportedly contained hundreds of mines and other explosive devices. The army said the underground compound included a command centre belonging to Hezbollah's Badr unit, a formation that operates in the area.
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Israeli authorities said the tunnel network had been developed over many years and represented a major part of Hezbollah's military infrastructure beneath the ridge. Netanyahu and Katz described its destruction as an important operational achievement, saying Israel had gained control of the strategic area. Their statement attributed the construction and planning of the infrastructure to Hezbollah with Iranian support. The claims could not be independently verified from the information available, while Hezbollah's response to the Israeli announcement was not included.
An Israeli military official told AFP that some Hezbollah militants who had operated in the area around the ridge had abandoned their positions. Others, the official said, were "eliminated by aerial strikes and artillery fire." The statement came as Israel continued operations against Hezbollah-related infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The area has remained strategically important because of its location and the presence of military infrastructure that Israel says poses a threat to its security.
The demolition of the tunnels marks another significant development in Israel's efforts to dismantle Hezbollah's underground military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Israel said the operation removed a network extending more than two kilometres and containing weapons, explosives and a command centre. Lebanon's official news agency, meanwhile, reported the large explosion and its effects in the Nabatieh region. The latest operation underscores the continuing focus on underground facilities and military positions in southern Lebanon as Israel seeks to prevent Hezbollah from maintaining strategic infrastructure in the area.
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