Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday that the IDF completed the destruction of Hezbollah's terror tunnels in the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, describing it as a forward stronghold built over 15 years with Iranian backing. Katz said the tunnels were destroyed, terrorists killed, and outposts and homes used by Hezbollah eliminated. He stated that a deep and wide security zone now exists in southern Lebanon, and the IDF is prepared for continued operations against Hezbollah.
Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Friday that the IDF had completed the destruction of Hezbollah's underground tunnel network under the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, a strategic operation that unfolded over several months.
The tunnel complex, built over two decades with Iranian funding, was destroyed Thursday night after a prolonged campaign by IDF commando and engineering units. According to military briefings reviewed by The Zioneer, troops seized the ridge gradually over three months, surrounding Hezbollah operatives inside the tunnels. When offered a chance to surrender, roughly 50 operatives refused and fought to the death. Most were killed inside the tunnels or while attempting to escape.
The IDF used approximately 1,100 tons of explosives carried in jerrycans by Yahalom combat engineers to demolish the network, which consisted of eight tunnel routes totaling over 5,400 meters. Inside, troops found Iranian-made rockets, missiles, drones, machine guns, anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosives, alongside a central command post for Hezbollah's Badr unit.
Regarding casualties, an Israeli source said dozens of Hezbollah fighters' bodies were recovered from the tunnels, while the IDF reported discovering roughly a dozen bodies inside the network — a discrepancy that remains unresolved. The military stated that no members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were present in the tunnels.
Katz said the destruction of the tunnels, along with the elimination of outposts and homes used by Hezbollah, establishes a deep and wide security zone in southern Lebanon. The IDF has withdrawn from the ridge itself but maintains remote control through surveillance and firepower, prepared for any Hezbollah or Iranian response.
The operation, first reported by The Zioneer on Thursday night, represents one of the most complex missions carried out by the IDF in recent years, according to a senior officer who commanded it.
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