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The Israeli armed forces have announced the complete destruction of a major subterranean Hezbollah military installation situated along the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Israeli defense officials confirmed that the operation was carried out to consolidate and reinforce the military's self-declared security zone across the border area.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz affirmed that their armed forces would maintain a prolonged presence on the high ground. The top officials stated that holding the territory is necessary to stop the Iran-aligned armed group from reconstituting its presence and restoring its offensive capabilities in the border region.
The scale of the military demolition was confirmed by Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, which reported that Israeli combat engineers executed a powerful underground explosion on the ridge. The resulting tremors and heavy concussions were felt across the regional hub of Nabatieh and surrounding communities throughout southern Lebanon.
Situated roughly 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Israeli border, the Ali al-Taher ridge has emerged as one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The high-altitude terrain holds significant strategic value, providing an elevated vantage point that overlooks extensive portions of southern Lebanon as well as areas of northern Israel.
The demolition of the complex follows assertions made last Friday by Defence Minister Katz, who announced that Israeli ground forces had successfully driven Hezbollah fighters out of the underground network beneath the contested highland. That clearance operation paved the way for combat units to systematically dismantle the subterranean infrastructure.
According to the Israeli military, ground units achieved complete operational control both above ground and below the surface before initiating the demolition process. Defense officials revealed that the cleared tunnel network stretched for more than two kilometers (just over one mile), representing an extensive subterranean facility.
Israeli military inspectors reported finding significant stockpiles of heavy armaments inside the underground complex. The dismantled caches reportedly contained dozens of surface-to-surface rockets, missiles, aerial drones, anti-tank guided weapon systems, landmines, and various improvised explosive devices.
Military spokespersons further disclosed that the subterranean installation served as a central command facility belonging to Hezbollah’s specialized Badr unit. The facility included fortified command hubs, arms storage depots, and dedicated living quarters designed to allow fighters to remain stationed underground for extended deployments.
According to regional intelligence and Lebanese security sources, Hezbollah is believed to have constructed and organized the underground command center and weapon depots at the ridge site in July as part of efforts to reinforce its forward defensive posture.
Following the demolition of the underground complex and the subsequent statements from Israeli political leadership, Hezbollah did not immediately issue a public response or comment regarding the loss of the position.
The battle over the Ali al-Taher ridge carries broader regional diplomatic and military implications. Last month, the Iranian government reportedly issued a direct warning to the United States, cautioning that Tehran would deliver a forceful response if Israeli ground and air operations against the strategic ridge continued.
Despite a ceasefire framework negotiated in June, Israeli airstrikes and ground maneuvers around the Ali al-Taher ridge have persisted unabated. The initial truce was reached after Israeli troops captured the nearby historic Beaufort Castle alongside adjacent elevated terrain overlooking southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Under the diplomatic framework brokered by the United States following the June agreement, understandings were reached between the Lebanese and Israeli governments without direct negotiations with Hezbollah. The roadmap outlined a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, paired with the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese national army.
However, the international transition process has ground to a complete standstill. Hezbollah has adamantly refused to surrender its weapons stockpile, while the Israeli government maintains that its military will not withdraw from Lebanese territory until the armed group is completely disarmed.
Since 2023, the Israeli military has pushed into southern Lebanon, capturing multiple strategic positions and occupying expansive areas of land. Israeli leadership increasingly argues that these occupied territories must be maintained as a strategic buffer zone to separate Hezbollah from Israeli territory.
With Israeli forces continuing to occupy the devastated Ali al-Taher ridge to prevent Hezbollah from returning, the unresolved standoff highlights the fragility of regional ceasefire efforts and the ongoing militarization of the southern Lebanese frontier.
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