The sounds of close-quarters combat were reported at the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon early Saturday, where Israeli forces are engaged with Hezbollah operatives, according to a field source. No further details on casualties or the current state of the battle have been released.
Field sources reported sounds of close-quarters combat at the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon early Saturday morning, indicating that Israeli ground troops are engaged in direct fighting with Hezbollah operatives at the strategic high ground. The report comes after a night of escalating activity: at 22:58 Friday, The Zioneer reported footage showing Israeli Air Force fire belts supporting ground troops in clashes at the same ridge, and earlier Friday evening, Hezbollah claimed anti-tank missile fire at Israeli tanks in the area.
The thread on the ridge has seen corroboration evolve from a single Russian source Friday evening (22:58) reporting an Israeli advance, to multiple Lebanese channels later that night reporting continued movement and Hezbollah fire, and Hezbollah's own claim that it destroyed an IDF Merkava tank with an IED during a sixth assault attempt. The footage published Friday at 22:58 provided visual evidence of IAF support for ground troops. The current field-source report of close-quarters combat represents the most direct account of the nature of the fighting so far, though it remains unverified by the IDF.
As The Zioneer reported Friday at 09:42, Hezbollah earlier claimed guided-missile fire at Israeli tanks in the same ridge area, and Lebanese sources have reported heavy artillery and phosphorus shelling in the area. The ridge, a key high ground in the Nabatieh district, has been a focal point of Israeli ground operations for several days.
No details on casualties, the current state of the battle, or whether Israeli forces have secured the ridge have been released. The IDF has not commented on any of the reports regarding the ridge.
6 developments
- DevelopingIDF carries out combined strikes near Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon
- StrongNew activity reported at Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon
- StrongLebanese sources: Five killed in Israeli strike on south Lebanon's Ali Taher ridge
- StrongIDF fires flares and heavy artillery at Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon
Source and signal
- Open-source intake