Israeli forces have destroyed a major underground Hezbollah base in southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), though the operation targeted a command center used by Hezbollah’s Badr unit, located in a complex built over two decades. The network extended for more than 2 km and contained dozens of rockets, missiles, drones, anti-tank weapons, mines, and explosives, the IDF said.

Expansive Underground Complex

The complex included command centers, weapons storage rooms, and living quarters that allowed Hezbollah fighters to remain underground for extended periods, the IDF stated that the infrastructure had been constructed and funded by the Iranian government over two decades. According to the IDF, all the terrorists inside the complex were either eliminated or fled during the operation; a fireball lighting up the sky was captured in images released by the IDF, as reported by the BBC.

Resident Accounts and Earthquake-Like Effects

Residents near the site described the attack as a terrifying experience — Ahamed, a resident in Nabatieh, about 6km west of the ridge, told the BBC that the house shook as if it were an earthquake. People screamed, children cried, and cars filled the roads as people fled to Beirut; Tremors were even felt in the coastal city of Saida, 40km north of the site.

Strategic Gains and Ongoing Conflict

The destruction of the complex was part of a broader mission to destroy eight tunnels and establish a “security zone” in the area, while Israeli forces have expanded their operations against Hezbollah positions and continue to hold what Israel describes as a security zone near the border. Lebanese media reported fresh Israeli strikes elsewhere in southern Lebanon on Thursday, including in Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Mansouri in the Tyre district.

Israel has pushed into southern Lebanon since the conflict erupted on March 2, seizing several strategic positions; the ridge has been one of Israel’s main operational focuses and lies within an expanded, self-declared Israeli buffer zone in southern Lebanon. A U.S.-brokered framework agreed after a June ceasefire called for Israeli forces to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon while Lebanese troops disarm Hezbollah, but However, the process has stalled, with Hezbollah refusing to give up its weapons and Israel stating it will not withdraw until the group disarms.