Israel Destroys 2km Hezbollah Underground Complex in Southern Lebanon

Israel's military has destroyed a large underground complex used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, deploying more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to collapse two tunnel systems spanning over two kilometres beneath the Ali Taher Ridge. The detonation triggered seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Command Centre and Arsenal Eliminated

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the underground infrastructure included a command centre used by Hezbollah's Badr unit. Inside the tunnels, Israeli forces found and destroyed dozens of rockets, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with anti-tank weapons, mines, and other explosives.

"This was strategic infrastructure constructed over two decades, funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime," the IDF stated. "All of the terrorists who were inside the infrastructure were eliminated or fled."

Local Residents Shaken

Residents in Nabatieh, a town roughly six kilometres west of the ridge, described the force of the explosion. "The sky lit up and about 15 seconds later we heard the terrifying sound," said a resident named Ahamed. "The house shook all together as if it was literally an earthquake." Tremors were felt as far away as the coastal city of Saida, 40 kilometres to the north.

Images released by the IDF showed a massive fireball rising into the sky. Lebanese media reported additional Israeli strikes elsewhere in southern Lebanon on Thursday, including in the Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Mansouri areas.

Security Zone Operations

Israeli forces took control of the Ali Taher Ridge last week following months of fighting. Israel has maintained a military presence across a substantial portion of southern Lebanon — territory it describes as a security zone — since the conflict with Hezbollah resumed in March. The IDF said the destruction of this complex completes its mission to destroy eight Hezbollah tunnel systems in the area.