Israeli forces declared on Thursday that they have dismantled a significant underground tunnel network constructed by Hezbollah beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. The demolition triggered a measurable seismic event, underscoring the scale of the infrastructure targeted.
A joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz described the destroyed facilities as “strategic terrorist infrastructure” developed over a twenty-year period with Iranian funding and planning. The officials stated that the operation finalized Israel’s “operational control” of the ridge, both above and below ground.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that a “massive explosion” occurred on the ridge in the Nabatieh region, producing powerful rumblings. Shortly after, the United States Geological Survey registered a 4.1-magnitude tremor in the vicinity. Journalists from AFP in the area confirmed hearing “huge explosions” during the evening.
“We were sitting there and everything shook,” Joelle Fares, a resident of Majayoun, told AFP regarding the incident.
According to the Israeli army, the Hezbollah complex stretched for more than two kilometers and housed a command center for the group’s “Badr” unit. The facility allegedly contained dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with machine guns, anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices.
A military source informed AFP that while some militants fled the area, others were killed by aerial strikes and artillery fire. This development follows Israel’s announcement last week that it had seized the Ali al-Taher ridge.
The destruction comes amid renewed intensity in strikes across south Lebanon following a period of relative calm. Violence had decreased after a June understanding between Iran and the United States, followed by a subsequent agreement between Lebanon and Israel. However, during negotiations sponsored by the US, Hezbollah reportedly refused a proposal for the Lebanese army to take control of the ridge.
Beirut authorities state that Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people since Hezbollah entered the conflict in March on behalf of its backer, Iran. Israeli forces continue to maintain a presence in a designated “security zone” in the south.
Does anyone else find it odd they waited until now to announce full operational control? Seems like political timing to me.
Whoa, I didn’t know the USGS registered it as a seismic event. The infrastructure must have been enormous.
So the June truce was basically just a brief pause? This escalation is getting out of hand quickly.
Thirty years of tunnels, gone in a day. This is a massive strategic blow to Hezbollah’s command structure.
Four-point-one magnitude just from demolition? That’s terrifying scale. I wonder how much damage this does to the nearby villages above.