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🇱🇧 Lebanon /Conflict & Security

Lebanese Army withdraws from southern village after Israeli troops advance nearby

From Naharnet · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Lebanese Army withdrew troops from a base in Kfar Tebnit after Israeli forces advanced nearby.
  • The move occurred amid reports of Israeli efforts to secure gains before a potential U.S.-Iran agreement on regional conflict resolution.
  • Airstrikes and shelling were reported in southern Lebanon, with casualties, while Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli troops.

The Lebanese Army repositioned its forces from a base in Kfar Tebnit on Saturday, responding to an advance by Israeli troops in the vicinity, according to a military official.

This withdrawal coincided with Israeli military evacuation warnings for approximately 20 locations, including the southern city of Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported airstrikes on villages near Nabatiyeh, resulting in two fatalities in Deir al-Zahrani, and noted artillery shelling on Nabatiyeh itself.

The Lebanese official, speaking anonymously, stated the army moved its troops from the Kfar Tebnit barracks following the Israeli incursion. Israeli forces reportedly aimed to capture the strategic Ali Taher hill, which overlooks Nabatiyeh and key roads, a position previously held by Israel for 18 years until their withdrawal in 2000.

Hezbollah issued statements claiming responsibility for several attacks on Saturday, including a drone strike targeting Israeli troops near Kfar Tibnit. The group has utilized fiber-optic drones throughout the recent conflict. This development follows Israel's capture of the strategic Beaufort Castle in late May, marking their deepest incursion into Lebanon since 2000.

The Lebanese military reported that an Israeli drone targeted a soldier near a Nabatiyeh hospital later on Saturday, missing him initially but striking him on a road connecting to Kfar Rumman as he traveled, causing serious injuries. The increased activity near Kfar Tibnit occurred as Pakistan's prime minister indicated that the U.S. and Iran had agreed on the terms of a deal to end the regional war, with mediators finalizing the agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously stated that both sides were working towards an initial agreement to end the war "on all fronts, including Lebanon."

The Lebanese Army moved its forces from the Kfar Tebnit barracks following an incursion by Israeli forces into the area.

— Senior Lebanese military officialExplaining the army's withdrawal from a base in southern Lebanon amid Israeli troop movements.
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Originally published by Naharnet. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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