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The Israeli military has carried out a massive demolition of an extensive underground Hezbollah tunnel network situated beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. The controlled explosion was of such substantial magnitude that it generated shockwaves felt across surrounding border communities, marking the culmination of an operation aimed at neutralizing entrenched militant facilities in the sector.
According to monitoring data released by the United States Geological Survey, the sheer energy released by the subterranean detonation triggered a 4.1-magnitude tremor in the immediate region. The seismic reading underscored the unprecedented scale of the explosive charges utilized by engineering units to dismantle the heavily fortified, underground redoubt.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that the armed forces of Israel executed a massive blast on the heights of the Ali al-Taher ridge located in the Nabatieh district. The state media outlet highlighted that the blast resulted in noticeable ground tremors and produced a deep, powerful rumble that echoed through nearby valleys and towns.
Journalists with Agence France-Presse stationed throughout southern Lebanon corroborated the severity of the event, reporting that thunderous explosions were heard reverberating across the border region on Thursday evening. The concussive blasts interrupted an evening already marked by heightened military activity in the southern frontier.
Local civilians in the vicinity experienced the immediate physical impact of the subterranean collapse. Joelle Fares, a resident who recently relocated to the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, described the terrifying sensation to AFP, recounting that residents were sitting inside when the earth suddenly shifted and everything around them began to shake violently.
Following the operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement confirming the targeted destruction of the underground installation. Both leaders emphasized the strategic weight of the target, describing the extensive complex as vital infrastructure that had been systematically constructed by the Iran-backed group over the span of two decades.
The joint ministerial statement further noted that the underground installation was developed with significant Iranian financial resources and strategic engineering planning. Israeli officials declared that the final demolition successfully completes their military objective of securing comprehensive operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge, encompassing both surface positions and subterranean corridors.
Military disclosures provided additional specifics regarding the scope and sophisticated design of the subterranean fortress. The Israeli armed forces revealed that the excavated complex spanned a distance of more than two kilometers, or roughly 1.2 miles, weaving deeply beneath the elevated topography of the ridge.
Within the cavernous passageways, Israeli forces uncovered a vast repository of advanced armaments and tactical equipment. The military reported discovering dozens of Iranian-manufactured rockets, guided missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside caches of automatic machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missile systems, and hundreds of specialized landmines and explosive devices.
The armed forces also identified the underground site as a primary command and control hub for Hezbollah’s specialized "Badr" unit. The facility had been customized to serve as a nerve center for coordinating tactical maneuvers, storing supplies, and sheltering fighters during prolonged combat operations against Israeli targets.
An Israeli military official informed AFP that Hezbollah forces stationed around the ridge had faced severe disruption leading up to the demolition. According to the official, several militants who had been actively operating within the perimeter opted to abandon their fortified positions, while others were neutralized through targeted aerial strikes and heavy artillery fire.
The comprehensive destruction of the subterranean fortress follows an announcement made by the Israeli military last week confirming the capture of the Ali al-Taher ridge. Securing this dominant geographic feature has been a focal point of recent Israeli military maneuvers intended to eliminate hostile firing positions along the frontier.
The confrontation over the ridge had also been a subject of diplomatic contention prior to the military escalation. A source close to the negotiating parties revealed to AFP that during United States-sponsored discussions, Washington had proposed a compromise under which the regular Lebanese army would assume control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, but Hezbollah rejected the initiative.
The broader hostilities trace back to March, when Hezbollah entered into the wider regional war in open support of its primary sponsor, Iran. That decision reignited intense cross-border skirmishes and drew Lebanon deeper into the escalating Middle Eastern conflict.
The regional theater experienced a temporary decrease in hostilities during the summer following diplomatic understandings reached in June between the United States and Iran, which were subsequently accompanied by agreements involving Israel and Lebanon. Despite those diplomatic efforts, combat operations have steadily escalated in intensity in recent days.
The human and infrastructural consequences of the prolonged campaign remain severe across the country. Authorities in Beirut have reported that Israeli bombardments and operations have resulted in more than 4,300 deaths since March, while Israeli ground troops continue to maintain an active presence across an occupied security zone in southern Lebanon.
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