The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday afternoon commenced a wave of strikes on Hezbollah terrorist targets in Southern Lebanon, the military confirmed to JNS.
No further details were provided.
The announcement came shortly after the IDF confirmed that the Iranian-backed terror group launched two explosive drones at soldiers operating inside the security zone in southeastern Lebanon. There were no casualties among Israeli forces.
“The IDF will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to operate against IDF soldiers in the security zone,” it stated. “The IDF is currently operating and will continue to act with determination against Hezbollah’s repeated attempts to harm IDF soldiers.”
The drones were launched overnight on Wednesday, according to the military. Troops deployed to the Ali al-Taher Ridge fired at the UAVs and downed one of them, according to the statement. Contact was lost with the second drone.
IDF troops over the past several weeks dismantled more than 400 terror infrastructure sites in the security zone, the military said on Wednesday.
The troops located numerous weapons, including anti-tank missiles, surface-to-air missiles, explosive devices, Kalashnikov rifles and mortars.
The IDF will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm Israeli civilians or IDF soldiers, and it will continue to operate to remove threats while remaining committed to the ceasefire agreement, the statement added.
The United States is waiting to see what unfolds over the next two days at the Ali al-Taher Ridge, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s MTV television network.
Issa spoke after meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Lebanon’s highest Sunni religious leader. He said the two discussed Lebanon’s future and “the importance of coexistence,” and that he had told the mufti that Washington “stands with the Lebanese people” and wants the country to be safe and independent.
Issa said the “model areas” were making progress, adding that everything agreed upon takes time to achieve. He was referring to the pilot zones set out under the June 26 framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, under which the Lebanese Armed Forces deploy as Israeli troops withdraw.
The ridge in Southern Lebanon sits above an extensive Hezbollah tunnel complex spanning more than a kilometer. The site served as a command-and-control center and housed weapons depots and rocket-launching facilities.
Several dozen Hezbollah terrorists are believed to remain trapped in the tunnels beneath the ridge. The Shi’ite terrorist group claims it has resupplied them by drone and through newly dug shafts.
