The IDF is carrying out a ground battle overnight to secure the Ali Taher ridge, a strategic high ground overlooking the Shiite town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to a military affairs analyst. The position would complete Israeli control of a series of ridgelines dominating the area, seen as necessary for security in the Galilee.
Clashes continued on the Ali Taher ridge overnight as IDF ground forces pushed to complete the capture of the strategic high ground overlooking Nabatieh, according to a military affairs analyst. The operation, described by the analyst as securing a series of dominant ridgelines — including Beaufort, al-Khayyam, and Hermon — is intended to deny jihadist groups proximity to the Israeli border. By sunrise Friday, there was no official IDF statement on whether the ridge had been fully secured.
The desk has tracked the fight for this ridge since the afternoon of Thu Jun 18. At 17:50 Jerusalem, Lebanese reports first indicated IDF forces advancing with heavy armor, though the IDF did not confirm. Minutes later, Shiite-affiliated channels reported Hezbollah firing rockets, anti-tank missiles, and drones at the advancing forces — still unverified by official Israeli sources. Shortly afterward, the IDF itself confirmed an engagement on the ridge, stating that more than 10 Hezbollah operatives had been killed and that the Israeli Air Force struck targets in the area. The current analyst report adds the frame of unfinished capture, suggesting the battle continued through the night.
As The Zioneer reported on Jun 13, Israeli forces first secured the ridge and reached the outskirts of Nabatieh. By Jun 15, Al Jazeera confirmed maneuvering forces advancing toward the ridge, lending weight to earlier unverified reports. The ridge, which rises to about 697 meters and overlooks the city of Nabatieh, has been described by Hezbollah itself — in an assessment published Thu Jun 18 — as a serious concern.
It remains unclear whether Israeli forces now hold full control of the ridge, and no official casualty figures or operational status have been released by the IDF.
5 developments
- DevelopingFresh barrage of IDF heavy artillery pounds Ali al-Taher ridge
- StrongAl Jazeera confirms IDF maneuvering forces advancing toward Ali al-Taher ridge
- DevelopingReports: IDF armor advances to within 3 km of Nabatieh, deeper than Ali Taher Ridge
- DevelopingIDF artillery pounds Ali al-Taher ridge near Nabatieh for second time in minutes
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