Israeli forces control the strategic complex built with Iranian funding over a decade, with dozens of Hezbollah operatives still holed up underground. The IDF halted fire by Saturday afternoon under U.S. pressure following Iran's declaration closing the Strait of Hormuz, but continues dismantling infrastructure inside the security zone.
Israeli forces retain control of the underground 'Imad 4' complex on Ali al-Taher Ridge, now confirmed by the IDF as the nerve center of Hezbollah's Badr Division, with dozens of operatives still trapped inside as of Sunday afternoon. The confirmation follows days of siege: The Zioneer reported on Saturday at 23:31 Jerusalem that the IDF had first confirmed the trapped operatives were inside the 'Imad 4' tunnel complex, upgrading earlier reports from that same day (23:31 Jerusalem) that the military had besieged approximately 30 operatives in an underground command center there. The site, carved over a decade with Iranian funding, served as the command platform for attacks on Israeli troops and territory.
The fight for the ridge began Thursday night with the loss of four soldiers from the 401st Brigade's 52nd Battalion, including battalion commander Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, in a tank ambush—first reported by The Zioneer Friday 09:32. Clashes continued through Friday night into Saturday, with one more soldier killed and 13 wounded in heavy Hezbollah barrages that included, as The Zioneer documented on Saturday 20:33, 147 rockets, 20 drones, and nine anti-tank missiles over 24 hours. The IDF responded with waves of strikes across southern Lebanon, hitting hundreds of targets and killing over 100 fighters per the Prime Minister's Office. By Saturday afternoon the IDF halted fire after American pressure triggered by Iran's declaration closing the Strait of Hormuz, but troops continue dismantling infrastructure inside the security zone.
The Iranian-built complex, identified as 'Imad 4,' sits six kilometers from the Israeli border and has been described by The Zioneer in prior reporting as a multi-shaft network built to hold hundreds of operatives and sustain prolonged combat. The IDF assesses it was Hezbollah's primary combat management room on the southern front.
What remains unverified: the exact number of operatives still trapped—earlier accounts said ~30; the current IDF statement says 'dozens,' without a specific count. The fate of those underground remains unknown, and it is unclear whether Iranian diplomatic efforts via Washington, as reported on Saturday 23:31, have produced any direct impact on the ground.
5 developments
- StrongAnalyst warns renewed IDF push at Ali al-Taher ridge tonight amid strategic Hezbollah base
- StrongIranian-backed analyst details Hezbollah's 'Imad 4' underground base on Ali Taher ridge
- DevelopingIran pushing for ceasefire to stall IDF operations on Ali Taher ridge, per analyst
- DevelopingAnalyst warns capture of Hezbollah's Imad 4/5 on Ali Taher ridge is key to defeating group
Source and signal
- Internal intake