Israel says it has destroyed major underground Hezbollah base
Israel's military says it has destroyed a large underground complex operated by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The blast triggered seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.
Israeli forces took control of the ridge last week after months of fighting with the Iran-backed group there. The Israeli military occupies a large swathe of southern Lebanon captured after the conflict with Hezbollah resumed in March.
"The sky lit up and about 15 seconds later we heard the terrifying sound," Ahamed, a resident in Nabatieh, about 6km west of the ridge, told the BBC.
He said people were screaming and children were crying, and that cars filled the roads as people left the area for Beirut.
The IDF said the underground infrastructure included a command centre used by Hezbollah's Badr unit and contained dozens of rockets, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as anti-tank weapons, mines and explosives.
"All of the terrorists who were inside the infrastructure were eliminated or fled."
The latest action comes amid renewed fighting in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have expanded operations against Hezbollah positions and continue to hold what Israel describes as a security zone near the border.
The Lebanese army has increased deployments in areas outside Israeli control, including the southern city of Nabatieh, in efforts to strengthen stability and reassure residents, local television station MTV reported.
Israel responded by launching a bombing campaign across Lebanon and invading a significant part of the country's south. Its forces continue to occupy roughly 5% of Lebanese territory.
The UN says about 330,000 people in Lebanon remain displaced by the conflict, with Israeli military activity, air strikes, destruction and restrictions on returning to Israeli-occupied areas preventing many from going home.
Hezbollah was not directly involved in the agreement and has rejected direct negotiations.
Dive deeper
- Israel's military says it has destroyed a large underground complex operated by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
- The blast triggered seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.
- Israeli forces took control of the ridge last week after months of fighting with the Iran-backed group there. The Israeli military occupies a large swathe of southern Lebanon captured after the conflict with Hezbollah resumed in March.
- "The sky lit up and about 15 seconds later we heard the terrifying sound," Ahamed, a resident in Nabatieh, about 6km west of the ridge, told the BBC.
- He said people were screaming and children were crying, and that cars filled the roads as people left the area for Beirut.