Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
A series of Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon on September 19, destroying more than 100 rocket launchers of Hezbollah, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) announced.
In a statement, the IDF said that in total, the launchers included around 1,000 launch barrels. It added that the strikes began in the afternoon, and were carried out in several waves.
“The IDF continues to damage and degrade the terror capabilities and military infrastructure of the Hezbollah terror organization,” the statement reads.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported more than 52 Israeli strikes on the south. The strikes targeted the forested areas near the town of Mahmoudiya, the outskirts of the town of al-Aishiya, the Rayhan Heights and the vicinity of the Barghaz River, according to the state-run news agency. No casualties were reported.
The intense strikes came following a series of 17 attacks by Hezbollah, during which several Israeli military posts and settlements along the border with Lebanon were targeted with rockets, guide missiles and suicide drones. An officer and a soldier of the IDF were killed and nine other troops were wounded.
Earlier this week, tensions between the two sides reached a high level following an Israeli sabotage attack that saw thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploding across Lebanon. The attack claimed the lives of 37 people, including two children, and wounded more than 3,450 others.
In a speech on September 19, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah vowed retaliation for the unprecedented Israeli sabotage attack.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said later that there are “significant opportunities, but also heavy risks” as Israel enters a new phase of the war.
“This is a new phase in the war, it has significant opportunities, but also heavy risks. Hezbollah is feeling chased and the sequence of our military operations will continue,” Gallant said during a meeting with the IDF’s top brass and other defense officials.
“Our goal is to return the residents of the north to their homes safely. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price,” the minister stated.
“At the same time, we will continue and carry out the effort to return the hostages and dismantle Hamas,” he added.
So far, the border clashes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths in Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as well as the deaths of at least 22 soldiers and security officers. On the Lebanese side, more than 900 people have been killed, including 478 fighters of Hezbollah and over 150 civilians.
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fake news, they are all under ground, reminds me of the fake news of 6 to 8 thousand missiles idf supposedly destroyed lol