Illustrative image.
Hezbollah on March 30 shared footage showing its fighters targeting more main battle tanks in southern Lebanon, as the advance of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) slowed down.
A total of three Merkava tanks can be seen getting hit with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) in the footage, taken in the area of Khalat Imai near the town of Debl in the central sector of southern Lebanon four days earlier. Hezbollah fighters apparently used thermal imagers to detect the tanks, then engaged them using Russian-made Kornet missiles, or the Iranian copy of the system known as Dehlavieh.
Hezbollah has targeted well over a hundred tanks of the IDF since resuming military operations after the start of the American-Israeli war on Iran more than a month earlier.
The IDF pushed deeper into southern Lebanon over the past week, expanding its “targeted” military operation meant to push Hezbollah behind the Litani River — located 20 to 30 kilometers away from the Blue Line which marks Israel’s declared border.
However, in the last two days, the advance of the Israeli troops slowed down, clearly as a result of the fierce resistance put on by Hezbollah.
A commander from Hezbollah told Al Jazeera on March 30 that the group’s fighters were still holding up in the northern part of the town of Khiam, in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon. He also revealed that the IDF has been working to circumvent the nearby town of Taybeh.
Hezbollah fighters also repelled an IDF attempt to advance towards the town of Rashaf, pushing back Israeli troops to the area of Wadi al-Uyun in the central sector of southern Lebanon, according to the commander.
Meanwhile in the western sector of the region, along the coast, the commander told the Qatari news channel that the IDF took a detour via the Iskenderun route to reach the town of Bayada.
“We are operating according to a policy of not clinging to specific geographical positions and are maneuvering to draw the enemy into vulnerable points,” he added, stressing that “rocket and drone launches continue under a secure command and control system, undetected by the enemy.”
The IDF, from its side, acknowledged on March 30 that a soldier from the 401st Armored Brigade’s 9th Battalion, had been killed by Hezbollah fire a day earlier.
According to a military probe of the incident, an “anti-tank missile” struck a tank of the 9th Battalion — which operates only Merkava MK 4M tanks —, killing the soldier and seriously injuring an officer. A short while later, two more “anti-tank missiles” were fired toward the troops, with no injuries caused.
In further separate incidents, two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded by an ATGM, and a soldier was seriously injured and two were moderately hurt by a Hezbollah drone that struck close to a gathering of troops in south Lebanon, according to the IDF.
One more Israeli soldier was moderately wounded in what the military described as an “operational accident” in the region.
The latest casualties brought the number of Israeli troops killed since the start of fighting in southern Lebanon to six. Two Israeli civilians were also killed in rocket attacks by Hezbollah.
Despite taking losses and facing some serious difficulties, Israel will not likely back down from the ongoing ground operation in southern Lebanon. In fact, recent Hebrew media reports indicate that the IDF is planning to continue fighting against Hezbollah even if a ceasefire is reached in Iran.
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there isn’t going to be an isreal after the iranian admin get through dealing with this apartheid regime. an apartheid regime devoid of any sanctions by the un. it’s ok for south africa to get the treatment but not this murderous regime in isreal. the world should have severed ties long ago. this demise of isreal has been a long time coming but now it’s here. trumpster gobbing off with his mouth isn’t going to change the outcome. this may very well be the end of the us empire also.