Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Thursday evening that the IDF fulfilled its promise to eliminate terrorists and destroy the tunnel network on the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, according to i24NEWS. Katz praised the military, saying 'we promised and we kept.'
Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Thursday evening that the IDF fulfilled its promise to eliminate terrorists and destroy the tunnel network on the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. "We promised and we kept," Katz said, offering praise to the military for the operation. The confirmation came after the IDF announced earlier this evening (21:26 Jerusalem) that the strategic underground network — built over two decades with Iranian funding — had been fully cleared, with all Hezbollah operatives inside killed or driven out.
At 21:26 Jerusalem, the IDF detailed the destruction of the Ali Taher ridge tunnel network, reporting that more than 1,100 tons of explosives were used to demolish eight tunnels spanning over 5.4 kilometers. The network served as a command-and-control center for Hezbollah's Badr unit. The IDF spokesperson said Hezbollah failed to defend the infrastructure and abandoned its operatives to die. The military acknowledged heavy losses, stating that soldiers fell in the battle to capture and clear the ridge. Lebanon's Seismological Center reported that the explosions registered a 4.1 magnitude earthquake. Later in the evening, Defense Minister Katz publicly endorsed the operation's success.
As The Zioneer reported, the Ali Taher ridge network was a multi-decade Iranian-financed project designed to facilitate a large-scale invasion of northern Israel. The IDF had previously secured operational control of the ridge area (reported on Sep. 4). The neutralization of the ridge marks a significant milestone in the organization of the security zone in southern Lebanon.
The IDF acknowledged heavy losses but has not released specific numbers of fallen soldiers. The exact tally of Hezbollah operatives killed or captured remains unverified by independent sources.
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