The IDF carried out combined ground and air strikes in southern Lebanon overnight, focusing on the strategic Ali Taher ridge and the roads leading to it, according to Arab affairs journalist Yossi Eliezer. Hezbollah operatives remain besieged in the area as Israeli forces continue to maneuver around the position.
The IDF carried out combined ground and air strikes on the strategic Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon overnight, focusing on the ridge itself and the routes leading to it, according to Arab affairs journalist Yossi Eliezer. The report indicates that Hezbollah operatives remain besieged in the area as Israeli forces continue to maneuver around the position.
This strike is the latest in a sustained campaign on the ridge that The Zioneer has tracked closely. On Thursday, The Zioneer reported that the Israeli Air Force struck the ridge with airstrikes, flares, and white phosphorus artillery. Earlier reports that same day cited Arab sources estimating some 200 Hezbollah and IRGC personnel trapped on the ridge under a tightening siege. Over previous nights, the IDF used bunker buster bombs for three consecutive nights, and the ridge was hit with multiple airstrikes across the Nabatieh and Tyre districts. The current overnight operation suggests the IDF is intensifying ground maneuver to encircle the remaining Hezbollah positions.
As The Zioneer reported in recent months, the Ali Taher ridge is a dominant high-ground feature overlooking the Nabatieh area, and it has been the site of a protracted underground standoff. In June, the IDF confirmed the elimination of Hezbollah operatives on the ridge while dozens remained trapped in a subterranean complex beneath Israeli-held positions. In August, Israeli forces launched an operation to capture the ridge, with reports describing a 'fire belt' of heavy strikes. The current siege reflects the ongoing effort to clear the ridge of Hezbollah operatives and underground infrastructure.
No official IDF statement has been released on the overnight strikes. The precise number of trapped operatives and the status of the underground tunnels remain unverified.
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