An Israeli source told Sky News Arabic that the IDF detonated Hezbollah's main underground command center on the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon with approximately 50 operatives inside, most of whom were killed. The source said Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the ridge and will redeploy to prevent any approach to the area. The source denied any Iranian presence at the site and said the military found large quantities of weapons.
In formal statements issued early Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the IDF had completed the destruction of Hezbollah's strategic underground facility on the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. The leaders described the installation as a command complex built over two decades with Iranian funding, designed as a staging base for the conquest of the Galilee. The destruction, they said, completes operational control over the ridge, both above and below ground.
Shortly afterward, an Israeli security source told Sky News Arabic that the IDF detonated the underground headquarters with an estimated 50 Hezbollah operatives inside, most of whom were killed. The source said the complex had been operating underground for years, and troops found large quantities of weapons at the site. The source added that Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the ridge and will redeploy to prevent any approach to the destroyed area, and explicitly denied any Iranian presence at the facility.
The update is the latest in a weeks-long campaign centered on the ridge. On June 20, The Zioneer reported that Hezbollah denied IDF claims that its operatives were encircled in the underground complex. On June 23, the IDF reported killing four Hezbollah operatives who approached the ridge using a bulldozer and motorcycle as civilian cover. On June 25, the IDF eliminated additional operatives near the ridge amid reports of dozens of operatives remaining trapped underground. On July 14, Israeli news site Walla reported that dozens of operatives remained trapped, with the IDF maintaining official ambiguity.
The IDF has not officially confirmed the specific number of casualties from the detonation or the absence of Iranian personnel, beyond the anonymous source's account. The source's account — the most detailed description of the operation's scale to date — remains unattributed apart from a general reference to an Israeli security official.
3 developments
- StrongIDF destroys Hezbollah tunnel network under Ali Taher Ridge, releases footage
- DevelopingIDF says it struck over 80 Hezbollah targets in Nabatieh and Beqaa, dozens killed
- DevelopingIDF eliminates Hezbollah operatives threatening troops at Ali al-Taher Ridge
- DevelopingIDF says it struck 70+ Hezbollah sites, eliminated seven operatives from underground route
Source and signal
- Open-source intake