Israeli forces operating on the Ali al-Taher ridge are contending with an extensive Hezbollah underground fortification network, the military says. The tunnels, lined with concrete and carved into the mountainside over more than a decade, serve as a key strategic base for the Iran-backed organization.
The IDF on Saturday night provided updated details on the scale of the Hezbollah tunnel network on the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. According to a military statement, troops currently operating in the sector are facing 'complex underground fortification arrays' — concrete-lined tunnels that were excavated into the rocky mountain over more than ten years and are described as a central strategic base for Hezbollah under Iranian patronage.
This comes as Israeli forces have been engaged for days in close-quarters combat with Hezbollah operatives on and around the ridge. As The Zioneer reported earlier Saturday, Amit Segal (N12) described the tunnels as 'monstrous' and far more extensive than those encountered by the IDF in Gaza. Earlier published reports noted that the IDF holds operational control over an underground Hezbollah nerve center at the site, and that dozens of operatives — including fighters tied to the elite Radwan force — are believed to be trapped in sections of the network.
The military has linked the fierce underground battles in this sector to a recent uptick in Hezbollah rocket fire into Israeli territory, characterizing the pressure on the ridge as a critical phase of the campaign. The tunnel system, built with Iranian backing over a decade, was designed to serve as a secure command-and-strike infrastructure allowing Hezbollah to operate inside southern Lebanon even under sustained Israeli air and ground pressure. Fighting above and below ground continues.
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