Israel claims to have destroyed a major Hezbollah underground base
The Israeli Defence Forces announced that it used more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to detonate a complex of tunnels spanning over 2km beneath the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon.
US Geological Survey officials confirmed that the blast produced seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake. No immediate reaction has been reported by Hezbollah or the Lebanese government.
Residents of Nabatieh, located about 6km west of the ridge, described the event: "The sky lit up and about 15 seconds later we heard the terrifying sound," said Ahamed, who witnessed the explosion. He added, "The house shook all together as if it was literally an earthquake. People were screaming and children were crying, and cars filled the roads as people left the area for Beirut. Tremors were even felt in the coastal city of Saida 40km north."
The IDF said the bunker included a command centre used by Hezbollah’s Badr unit, storing dozens of rockets, missiles, UAVs, anti‑tank weapons, mines and explosives. "This was strategic infrastructure constructed over two decades, funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime," the military stated. It also claimed that all personnel inside the complex were eliminated or fled.
The strike is part of a broader Israeli campaign that has occupied roughly 5% of Lebanese territory, extending a so‑called security zone after the conflict that began on 2 March. Lebanese forces have increased deployments in the south to reassure residents, while Israel has continued air strikes across the region.
Since the conflict’s escalation, the UN reports that about 330,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon. The health ministry cites 4,383 deaths from Israeli attacks, including 395 women and 259 children, though numbers do not differentiate combatants from civilians. Israeli casualties reported 40 soldiers and four civilians killed in the same period.
Additional reporting by Raffi Berg in London and Samantha Granville & Ghaith Solh in Beirut
