Israel Claims Foes’ Underground Hezbollah Base Destroyed

Israel's military says it has destroyed a large underground complex operated by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Using more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detonated two tunnels that stretched over 2km (1.2 miles) beneath the Ali Taher Ridge, a key position in the area.

The blast triggered seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No immediate public response came from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government.

Local eyewitnesses describe the moment vividly.

"The sky lit up and about 15 seconds later we heard the terrifying sound."

A resident of Nabatieh, about 6km west of the ridge, said the house shook like an earthquake. He added that people were screaming, children were crying and cars filled the roads as families fled toward Beirut.

Tremors were felt as far as Saida, 40km north.

The IDF says the underground infrastructure housed a command centre used by Hezbollah’s Badr unit and contained dozens of rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti‑tank weapons, mines and explosives.

"This was strategic infrastructure that was constructed over two decades, funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime," the IDF stated on Telegram. It added that all of the terrorists inside the complex were eliminated or fled.

The destruction of the complex completes a mission to destroy eight tunnels and establish a security zone in the area, the IDF said. It comes amid renewed fighting in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have expanded operations against Hezbollah positions and continue to occupy what Israel calls a security zone near the border.

Lebanese media report fresh Israeli strikes elsewhere in the south on Thursday, including Nabatieh al‑Fawqa and Mansouri in the Tyre district. The Lebanese army has increased deployments outside Israeli control, aiming to boost stability and reassure residents.

The war between Israel, the United States and Iran began on 2 March 2026 when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israel responded by bombarding Lebanon and invading a significant part of the country’s south. Israeli forces now occupy roughly 5% of Lebanese territory.

Ceasefire negotiations have slowed fighting, but Israeli strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon continue. According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least 4,362 people have been killed in the conflict, including 395 women and 259 children, though the figures do not differentiate combatants from civilians. Israeli authorities report that 40 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed.

Additional reporting by Raffi Berg in London and Samantha Granville and Ghaith Solh in Beirut.