The IDF confirms that troops from the 679th Armored Brigade captured an additional Hezbollah operative from the elite Radwan unit in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon. The operative was transferred to Israel for interrogation by Unit 504. The arrest occurred in the same area where an encounter with the cell took place on Thursday, and follows the capture of another Radwan operative earlier this evening.
The IDF confirmed Wednesday evening that troops from the 679th Armored Brigade captured a second Hezbollah operative from the elite Radwan unit in the Bint Jbeil area of southern Lebanon. The operative was arrested yesterday (Tuesday) in the same area where the first capture occurred, and was transferred to Israel for interrogation by Unit 504. The announcement follows a series of reports earlier this evening detailing the first capture.
The Zioneer first reported the initial capture at 19:41 Jerusalem, when the IDF announced that a Radwan operative had been apprehended. Subsequent updates at the same timestamp revealed that the capture involved a firefight in which an Oketz canine unit dog was killed, and that the operative was part of a cell that wounded an IDF soldier last week. The Zioneer reported at 20:09 Jerusalem that the operative was indeed part of that cell. The first operative was also arrested on Tuesday, according to the IDF.
The Radwan unit is Hezbollah's elite commando force, responsible for cross-border attacks. The Bint Jbeil area has been a focal point of clashes. As The Zioneer reported on July 3, a reserve soldier was severely wounded in a close-quarters encounter with a Hezbollah gunman in the area. The IDF has since conducted multiple operations to eliminate threats.
The IDF has not disclosed the identities of the captured operatives or whether additional members of the cell remain at large. The status of the interrogations also remains unclear.
5 developments
- StrongIDF confirms 4 soldiers wounded by Hezbollah grenade in Beit Yahoun; assailant killed
- ConfirmedIDF eliminates Hezbollah operative near troops in Al-Manzala area
- StrongIDF says one soldier killed, seven wounded by Hezbollah IED in southern Lebanon; Filin named, injuries detailed
- DevelopingIDF troops engage Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon, kill two operatives
Source and signal
- Internal intake