Israeli Defense Forces identified and eliminated multiple Hezbollah terrorists during overnight operations Friday in the Ali Taher ridge area of southern Lebanon's security zone, according to IDF announcements. One combat officer sustained moderate wounds during the engagement and was rapidly evacuated for medical treatment. His family was notified of his condition, the IDF stated.
The engagement follows broader IDF operations in the region aimed at destroying Hezbollah military infrastructure. Brigades 401, 4, and 300 have conducted sweeps across the area and located dozens of weapons caches hidden by the militant organization, according to military statements. The discovered armaments included Kalashnikov rifles, RPG rockets, ammunition magazines, grenades, and additional combat equipment, demonstrating the scale of weaponry accumulated by the organization across the territory over years.
The Ali Taher ridge operation occurred in the context of alleged ceasefire violations by Hezbollah. According to Israeli military reports, the terror organization launched an explosive drone toward an IDF engineering vehicle in the Ali Taher ridge security zone, prompting the Israeli response. Following that incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to destroy terror tunnels in the Beaufort area of southern Lebanon, described as part of Hezbollah's plan to infiltrate Israeli Galilee communities.
Netanyahu and Katz released a joint statement indicating that Israel will not accept any violation of the ceasefire agreement and will respond forcefully to any Hezbollah attempt to strike Israeli forces or civilians. The statement said the organization will incur heavy consequences for such attempts. The IDF has remained stationed in the security zone and continues searching additional terrain to locate weapons hidden by the terror organization and prevent Hezbollah from reconstituting military capabilities in the area.
