NABATIEH, Lebanon — Israeli elite special forces, led by the Yahalom combat engineering unit, have secured control of an extensive subterranean military network beneath the strategic Ali Al-Taher Ridge, following weeks of close-quarters engagements against fortified Hezbollah operatives.
The high-altitude ridge, overlooking the city of Nabatieh and the Litani River sector, has long served as a key strategic vantage point in southern Lebanon. Ground operations revealed a multi-level underground complex constructed over two decades with extensive Iranian funding and design. Equipped with command centers, weapons depots, independent power generators, living quarters, and dedicated communication systems, the subterranean fortress was engineered to serve as the regional operational headquarters for Hezbollah’s Badr Division.
Israeli commandos systematically isolated the facility by securing key tunnel access shafts, cutting off external resupply lines, and engaging entrenched fighters attempting to breach the perimeter. Utilizing targeted subterranean breaching tactics, precision strikes, and drone technology, engineering units systematically dismantled the network's defensive nodes.
Military intelligence and security officials confirmed that while initial reports suggested the presence of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) advisers within the complex, the frontline combatants holding the underground site consisted primarily of Hezbollah forces. Dozens of hostile operatives were neutralized during intense firefights as Israeli forces systematically cleared the shafts.
The dismantling of the Ali Al-Taher complex eliminates a critical command-and-control hub capable of directing cross-border fire and ambushes. Engineering units remain on-site to complete the demolition of the underground infrastructure and secure the surrounding heights.
Beyond its immediate tactical weight, the battle over Ali Al-Taher Ridge carries immense geopolitical fallout. Situated along a critical elevated axis connecting southern border corridors to Hezbollah's interior strongholds in Iqlim al-Tuffah, control of the ridge strips the group of an essential vantage point that previously facilitated direct visual monitoring and targeting of northern Israeli communities.
Diplomatic observers note that the fall of this flagship subterranean installation deals a significant blow to the armed group's regional prestige, while fueling broader friction over U.S.-backed roadmap efforts to establish demilitarized buffer zones in southern Lebanon.
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