IDF troops destroy Hezbollah terror assets amid push into Lebanon

Israel Defense Forces soldiers have expanded their targeted ground operations in Southern Lebanon, completing their deployment along the “anti-tank missile defense line,” the military announced on Tuesday.

Troops of the 98th Division have established operational control of the area, clearing Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure, alongside a broader firepower campaign targeting the Iranian proxy’s main centers of gravity.

“The IDF is operating decisively against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in response to its deliberate decision to attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian terror regime,” the military said.

The Israeli Air Force continues to operate in coordination with ground forces to eliminate Hezbollah terror assets in Southern Lebanon, the IDF said Monday.

The divisions operating under the Northern Command are working to enhance the “forward defense area” and enable the rapid removal of threats from both ground and air at all times to protect civilians in northern Israel, according to the statement.

Over the past several weeks, IDF troops from the 91st Division have carried out targeted ground maneuvers, including identifying Hezbollah anti-tank terrorists who had positioned themselves inside a mosque. Following the identification, the troops eliminated the terrorists and dismantled the compound to remove the threat.

Additionally, the soldiers eliminated terrorist cells and located numerous weapons used by Hezbollah to carry out attacks. The weapons included explosive devices, various types of firearms, magazines and other equipment.

Reserve troops from the 769th Brigade, operating under the 91st Division, located underground living quarters where military equipment and weapons were found, including RPG rockets and explosive devices.

Alongside these items, troops also found a flag belonging to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Additionally, during searches, soldiers located a Hezbollah observation post and subsequently dismantled it with tank fire.

The Israel Defense Forces has killed more than 1,000 Hezbollah operatives since the Iranian-backed terrorist group joined the war on March 2, “and that number will continue to rise,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Sunday.

The military is striking Hezbollah “with determination, extensively and across multiple fronts,” Zamir said during a visit to Ras el-Bayada, a strategic coastal headland located near Tyre that is the northernmost point in Southern Lebanon where Israeli soldiers are currently operating.

“Every terrorist target and any target that supports terrorism in Lebanese territory will be struck,” Zamir vowed, adding that the entire area south of the Litani River has been turned into an “operational zone” where the IDF will remain until it is “free of threats to Israel and our northern communities.”

“We issued advanced warnings to the residents of Southern Lebanon for their protection and to enable freedom of military operation,” he said. “We will remain on this line as long as required.”

Hezbollah began firing rockets and suicide drones at Israel on March 2, after the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.

In response to Hezbollah’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce agreement, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against the Iranian proxy and ordered IDF troops to advance and take control of additional areas in Southern Lebanon to halt cross-border attacks.