The IDF announced it killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives in more than 100 strikes, including in the Bekaa region, and exposed a strategic underground Hezbollah infrastructure near the Beaufort ridge area. The military again accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and asserted it has no restrictions on removing threats, with forces ready for intense combat in any arena.
The IDF Spokesperson's briefing at 18:32 on Friday updated the largest single-day operation since the ceasefire began. The military said it has now conducted more than 100 strikes and eliminated dozens of Hezbollah operatives, while revealing the discovery of a strategic underground Hezbollah infrastructure built over many years on the Ali al-Taher ridge near the Beaufort Castle area.
This follows a sequence of updates throughout Friday afternoon. At 12:21, the IDF first reported at least three killed in deep Lebanon strikes and 30 total eliminated since midnight. By 12:57, the military said it had struck two Hezbollah headquarters in the Bekaa Valley and over 80 additional targets. At 16:14, the IDF officially accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire. The military then confirmed at 16:20 that dozens of operatives had been killed and the 52nd Battalion — whose commander was killed overnight — operated in the Beaufort area, with the new underground discovery added at that point. A separate briefing at 16:27 stated forces have full freedom of action across southern Lebanon. The 18:32 update matched the earlier 16:20 claim but framed the underground infrastructure as a newly emphasized strategic finding.
As The Zioneer reported at 16:27, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said forces are actively demolishing major Hezbollah tunnel systems at the Beaufort Castle area and Ali Taher ridge, calling them the terror group's central command centers. The military has not provided specific figures on Hezbollah combatant casualties beyond the 'dozens' announced, nor has it clarified how many of the 100+ strikes targeted the newly-identified underground infrastructure rather than other sites.
It remains unclear whether the underground infrastructure is a new discovery or an existing known complex that was previously reported. The IDF has not released independent verification or imagery to confirm the scope of the infrastructure.
4 developments
- DevelopingIDF says it struck 70+ Hezbollah sites, eliminated seven operatives from underground route
- DevelopingIDF says over 1,300 Hezbollah operatives killed since ceasefire, reveals command chain decapitation
- StrongIDF strikes two Hezbollah headquarters in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley
- DevelopingIDF uncovers large Hezbollah tunnel network used for about 400 launches
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