The IDF was reported to have used 1,100 tons of explosives to raze 2km of Hezbollah tunnels under a hill in southern Lebanon in a huge blast that triggered a 4.1-magnitude earthquake.
The destruction of the sprawling underground network under the Ali al-Taher Ridge on Thursday night completed the consolidation of the security zone along Israel’s northern border, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
The strategic terrorist infrastructure, built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning, was intended to serve as a staging base for Hezbollah’s planned conquest of the Galilee, according to the joint statement.
The command centre on the ridge provided Hezbollah with observation and fire control over the northern Israeli communities of Metula and Kiryat Shmona.
Footage shows the demolition of Hezbollah's tunnels beneath the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon by the IDF tonight. pic.twitter.com/dpFDSok54n
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) September 10, 2026
“Their destruction completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher Ridge, above and below ground,” Netanyahu and Katz said.
According to an Israeli military official, the underground network consisted of eight routes with a combined length of more than 5,400 meters (17,700 ft).
IDF troops found dozens of explosive drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles, machine guns and anti-tank missiles inside the tunnels, along with hundreds of mines, RPG rockets, explosive devices and other military equipment.
In recent months, Israeli forces stepped up pressure on Hezbollah terrorists operating from the underground infrastructure, initially establishing operational control over the ridge above ground.
The operation included ambushes and attacks on tunnel shafts using grenades, drones and other weapons. Troops subsequently established control of the underground network in what the military official described as a lengthy, localised operation within the security zone.
Some Hezbollah terrorists operating on the ridge fled, while others were killed. Terrorists detected attempting to leave the area or deliver supplies to the underground network were targeted in airstrikes and artillery fire.
During one encounter, Israeli troops killed a terrorist at close range as he attempted to escape from one of the underground routes, according to the military official.
The operation dismantled strategic Hezbollah infrastructure that served as a central command-and-control centre for the terrorist organisation Badr Unit, while giving Israeli forces operational control of the Ali al-Taher Ridge.
The Ali Taher Ridge is located in southern Lebanon near Nabatiyeh.
— Alex Gandler (@AlexGandler) September 11, 2026
The tunnel systems under Ali Taher served as the “nerve center” of the Islamic Shiite terror group Hezbollah, specifically the Badr regional division, a unit tasked with the area of southern Lebanon that is north… https://t.co/VdoWrFuUeZ pic.twitter.com/GkrenxUADe
The elevated terrain overlooks the Nabatieh area, a major centre of Lebanon’s Shi’ite population.
The IDF said it had dismantled most of the underground routes throughout the ridge, making them unusable for Hezbollah terrorists seeking to entrench themselves underground or plan attacks.
The operation followed the destruction of Hezbollah’s main underground routes in the Beaufort Ridge (about 2.8 miles south-east of Ali al-Taher Ridge) and the surrounding villages of Arnoun, Yohmor and Kfar Tebnit.
“IDF forces are deploying for defence in the area and to prevent enemy forces from returning to the territory,” Netanyahu and Katz said.
“The IDF will remain in the security zone and will continue destroying terror infrastructure and thwarting any attempt by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation to re-establish itself and restore its capabilities,” they added.
“The State of Israel will continue to defend the northern communities from within Lebanon, and any attempt to harm our citizens and our forces will be met with force.”
The IDF said it remains prepared for a range of scenarios, including a possible multi-front conflict, while continuing operations in the Southern Lebanon security zone to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities.
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