IDF clears Hezbollah tunnels on Ali al-Taher ridge in Lebanon after months-long operation

The Israel Defense Forces says it has gained control of the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, above and below ground, after spending months uncovering Hezbollah’s underground network.

The military announced that troops had cleared two underground infrastructures and were continuing efforts to neutralize them. It said the sites had been built over roughly two decades, with planning and funding from Iran. Hezbollah operatives had been stationed in the area, with some killed and others fleeing during the operation.

Inside the tunnels, Israeli forces found command rooms, weapons storage rooms, generators, living quarters, showers and a kitchen. The IDF said the facilities allowed operatives to remain underground for long periods and conduct combat operations. It also said attack plans targeting Israel and Israeli forces had been carried out from the tunnels, and that recent operations had eliminated the sites’ ability to launch further attacks.

The operation focused on the ridge’s upper and lower sections, including the area around Beaufort Castle. Engineering units first mapped the surface and destroyed tunnels, concealed entrances, firing positions directed at Israeli communities and the border, weapons depots, living quarters and command facilities. Locating the deeper systems proved more difficult because they were hidden beneath dense vegetation and rock.

For weeks, Israeli forces also sought to disrupt the route used to move food, water and ammunition from Beirut to the tunnels. The IDF said some underground systems had been found and destroyed earlier, while others were discovered only recently. Once the neutralization work is complete, the military said it will redeploy for defensive operations based on its assessment of the situation. It added that operations in southern Lebanon continue while Israel remains committed to the ceasefire agreement.