Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in South Lebanon reported that the Zionist occupation forces carried out the massive detonation underneath Ali al-Taher Hill in Nabatieh.
The explosion was heard across several areas of southern Lebanon, while Lebanon’s National News Agency said tremors from the blast were felt in Nabatieh and surrounding areas.
The Israeli military claimed that its forces had established what it called “operational control” over the ridge, both above and below ground, before dismantling an underground network extending for more than 2 kilometers.
The Zionist regime’s military alleged that the site contained command centers, weapons storage rooms and living quarters, as well as rockets, missiles, drones, anti-tank missiles, mines and explosive devices.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and war minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that Israeli forces would remain in the area to prevent Hezbollah from what they called re-establishing its presence and rebuilding its capabilities. The Israeli officials portrayed the operation as a consolidation of the Zionist regime’s so-called security zone in southern Lebanon.
Al Jazeera reported that the Ali al-Taher ridge, located about 15 kilometers from the Israeli-occupied border, has been one of the most contested areas in the conflict between the Israeli regime and Hezbollah. Katz had claimed last week that Israeli forces had driven Hezbollah fighters from what he described as a tunnel network beneath the strategic highland.
The Israeli regime’s latest attack comes despite a ceasefire agreed in June, with Israeli strikes and ground operations continuing around the ridge in recent weeks. The regime has also seized strategic positions in southern Lebanon, including nearby Beaufort Castle and parts of the high ground overlooking southern Lebanon.