Beirut Blast and Border Battles: IDF Decapitates Hezbollah, Piece by Piece
Division 91 troops conduct ground operations as part of "Operation Lion's Roar" to protect northern Israeli settlements
The IDF said that troops from Division 91 eliminated dozens of terrorists in southern Lebanon during intensive ground operations over the past 24 hours, marking a significant escalation in the military's campaign against Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.
The operations, conducted as part of "Operation Lion's Roar," aim to expand forward defense capabilities for northern Israeli communities that have faced persistent rocket and missile threats.
Forces from the Givati Brigade's combat team identified two terror cells operating in the area and called in precision artillery strikes within minutes of detection, the military said. Six terrorists were eliminated in the coordinated attack, with no casualties reported among Israeli forces.
In a separate engagement, fighters from the elite Intelligence Collection Unit 869 spotted two terrorists who had opened fire on IDF positions during counter-terrorism sweeps in southern Lebanon. Israeli ground forces, supported by tanks and air force aircraft, responded with immediate fire, eliminating both militants within minutes of identification.
Unit 869 specializes in locating terrorists and terrorist infrastructure, operating in close coordination with ground and air forces to enable rapid response operations, military officials said.
Beyond the eliminations, IDF forces attacked and destroyed a Hezbollah observation post designed to monitor Israeli troop movements and coordinate terrorist operations against northern settlements.
In recent days, Israeli forces also eliminated Hamza Ibrahim Rakhin, deputy commander of Hezbollah's Unit 1800, which coordinates between the Lebanese militant group and Palestinian terrorist organizations. The precision strike in Beirut represents a significant blow to Hezbollah's coordination capabilities with regional terror groups, military analysts said.
"The IDF will continue to operate with full force against the Hezbollah terror organization, which decided to join the campaign under the auspices of the Iranian regime, and will not allow harm to Israeli civilians," an IDF spokesman said.
The operations come amid ongoing tensions along Israel's northern border, where Hezbollah has maintained an extensive network of tunnels, weapons depots, and observation posts in violation of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.