World
Israeli Strikes Level Hezbollah Tunnel Network in South Lebanon, Setting Off 4.1-Magnitude Tremor
By AFP
Israel announced on Thursday that it had destroyed a major tunnel system built by Hezbollah beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, an operation that produced a tremor measuring 4.1 in magnitude. AFP correspondents in the region reported hearing multiple explosions, and footage released by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz showed a large fireball lighting up the night sky.
The strike followed earlier claims by Israeli officials that their forces had seized control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, an area they said Hezbollah had honeycombed with tunnels used to launch attacks on Israel from the mountainous terrain. Israeli troops currently hold positions in parts of southern Lebanon, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to establish a "security zone" to guard against threats to northern Israel.
In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Katz described the tunnel network as "strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning." They said its destruction "completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge — above and below ground."
The US Geological Survey confirmed the 4.1-magnitude tremor in the area. Lebanon's state National News Agency reported that Israel had carried out a "massive explosion" on the ridge in the Nabatieh region, causing tremors and a loud rumble. AFP journalists in southern Lebanon also described hearing large explosions on Thursday evening. Joelle Fares, a resident who recently moved to Majayoun, told AFP, "We were sitting there and everything shook."
According to the Israeli military, the destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure spanned more than two kilometres and held dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and drones, along with machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices. The army said the underground complex also contained a command centre belonging to Hezbollah's "Badr" unit.
A military official told AFP that some fighters stationed near the ridge had fled the area, while others were killed in aerial strikes and artillery fire. The official added that Hezbollah had constructed eight underground passages allowing safe movement beneath the ridge, and that Israeli forces had seized several dozen explosive drones along with hundreds of mines.
Hezbollah entered the broader Middle East conflict in March in support of its ally Iran. A period of relative calm followed an understanding reached between Iran and the United States in June, along with a subsequent agreement between Lebanon and Israel. However, strikes have intensified again in recent days.
A source close to the negotiations told AFP that during US-sponsored talks, Washington had proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, but Hezbollah rejected the plan.
Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people since March, and Israeli forces remain in control of a so-called security zone in southern Lebanon.