IDF Reserves Secure Lebanon Border, Dismantle Hezbollah Underground Fortifications

The Israeli military's 55th Reserve Armored Brigade has established a forward defense line along Lebanon's coast, transforming areas previously considered dangerous into a secure zone. A recent report accompanied the brigade's commander, Colonel Dor Manshouf, on a tour of Hezbollah's underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Deep within villages overlooking Israel's northern border, including Dir Hura, Hezbollah constructed extensive observation and launch sites aimed at facilitating raids into Israeli territory. Colonel Manshouf emphasized that these facilities are not the work of simple militants but represent a sophisticated, Iranian-directed network. The primary threat, he noted, lies beneath the surface, where complex underground command centers equipped with advanced power, ventilation, and communication systems have been discovered.

Israeli commanders acknowledge that air strikes alone cannot eliminate these subterranean structures, necessitating prolonged ground operations for thorough destruction. The deep explosions heard in northern Israeli communities are evidence of the ongoing demolition efforts by soldiers on the ground. The report also references previous Israeli military operations, including the destruction of a tunnel on the Ali Taher ridge and the clearing of Hezbollah tunnels in the same area.

In the fortified village of Majdal Zoun, where many houses served as weapons depots or bomb labs, the brigade sustained casualties, including a company commander and a soldier killed in a booby-trapped building. Despite these losses, reservists continue their nightly operations to neutralize terrorist threats. The 55th Brigade, comprised of thousands of reservists who have dedicated months to restoring security to the northern border, expresses a deep sense of mission, prepared to remain on duty through the holidays until their task is complete, as residents return to their homes and beaches reopen.