IDF Launches Intense Strikes on Hezbollah Targets in Southern Lebanon After Drone Attack

On the night between Saturday and Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a series of powerful airstrikes in the Ali Taher mountain range in southern Lebanon. The strikes followed a prior warning to residents of Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee region about expected explosions due to planned military operations. Videos from Lebanon showed multiple explosions and heavy smoke rising from the targeted area.

This escalation comes after a serious incident early Saturday morning around 2:30 a.m., when a Hezbollah-launched explosive drone struck an IDF commando unit operating in the area. The attack left one officer and two soldiers seriously wounded, all evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa. One soldier’s condition later stabilized, while the other two remained sedated in intensive care.

In response, the IDF targeted several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, including infrastructure near Nabatiyeh and a Hezbollah command center in Ansar. Among those killed was Ali Samir Al-Hajj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, along with other militants involved in planning attacks against Israeli forces. Reports indicated that family members of Hassan were also harmed during the strikes, though the IDF clarified they were not the intended targets and were located inside a military headquarters with the commander.

The IDF continues to maintain high alert in northern Israel amid ongoing tensions and further strikes in southern Lebanon. Residents in the north remain on standby for additional security instructions as the situation develops.