Israel destroys Hezbollah tunnel network in south Lebanon, causing 4.1-magnitude tremor
Israel's military demolished a vast Hezbollah underground network beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in south Lebanon, with the blast strong enough to register as a 4.1-magnitude tremor. Netanyahu and Katz said this secures full operational control of the ridge above and below ground.
Israel announced on Thursday that it had destroyed a major Hezbollah tunnel network built over two decades beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in Lebanon's Nabatieh region. The explosion was powerful enough that the US Geological Survey recorded a 4.1-magnitude tremor in the area.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz described the network as "strategic terrorist infrastructure" built with Iranian funding and planning. They said its destruction completed Israel's operational control over the ridge, both above and below ground.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency had earlier reported a "massive explosion" on the ridge, causing tremors and a powerful rumble. AFP journalists in south Lebanon also reported hearing huge explosions, and a resident, Joelle Fares, said everything shook where she was sitting.
Extensive weapons cache
The Israeli army said the destroyed infrastructure stretched over two kilometres and held dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and drones, along with machine guns, anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosives. The underground compound also housed a command centre belonging to Hezbollah's "Badr" unit. A military official told AFP that some militants had abandoned the area while others were killed in air and artillery strikes.
Israel had announced last week that it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge. Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict in March in support of its ally Iran. Violence had eased following a June understanding between Iran and the United States and a subsequent Lebanon-Israel agreement, but strikes have intensified again in recent days. During negotiations, the US had proposed the Lebanese army take control of the ridge, an offer Hezbollah rejected.
Beirut authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people since March, and Israeli forces continue to occupy a so-called "security zone" in southern Lebanon.
