The IDF stated it eliminated a Hezbollah cell operating a drone near Kfar Tabnit in southern Lebanon. Commandos from the 36th Division identified the drone, and the Air Force found and struck the operators hiding near the security zone.
Tonight at 20:29 Jerusalem, the IDF provided further details on the strike that eliminated a Hezbollah drone cell near Kfar Tabnit in southern Lebanon. The military identified the unit as commandos from the 36th Division who had earlier spotted the drone. The strike itself was carried out by the Air Force after ground forces guided the search. The new details follow an initial IDF statement at 20:03 today confirming the elimination of the cell.
The incident was first reported by Lebanese media on Thursday evening, July 16, at 21:38 Jerusalem, citing a drone strike in the al-Tahir area. The Zioneer's initial report carried no details on the target or casualties. Within the same hour, The Zioneer updated that the strike was confirmed, and subsequently reported the IDF's statement that it had eliminated a Hezbollah cell operating an explosive drone near Israeli forces.
The operation is the latest in a series of precise strikes against Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon, as The Zioneer has reported. On July 5, the IDF struck a Hezbollah motorcycle cell near Al-Aqida, and on June 28, an RPG squad threatening Egoz unit troops was eliminated. The military has described these operations as responses to violations of Hezbollah's commitments.
The IDF has not disclosed the specific model of the drone or the exact location of the cell within the security zone. No secondary explosions or additional weapons caches have been reported at the strike site.
4 developments
- DevelopingIDF says Hezbollah drone surveillance cell dismantled in southern Lebanon
- StrongIDF drone strike kills two Hezbollah operatives near Tibnah in southern Lebanon
- StrongIDF drone tracks Hezbollah operatives emerging from Beaufort tunnel, airstrike kills several
- ConfirmedIDF: Five soldiers wounded in second Hezbollah drone strike near Kfar Tebnit overnight
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