Israeli Forces Clash with Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon Village

Violent confrontations took place in recent hours near the village of Kafrtabnit, located in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon, involving Israeli military forces and Hezbollah members, according to Israeli sources early Sunday.

The Israeli i24news channel reported that the fighting is occurring both above and below ground, with Israeli forces surrounding Hezbollah fighters in the village's vicinity. It claimed that approximately 30 Hezbollah operatives have taken shelter underground.

Military sources cited by the channel described the village as a critical Hezbollah stronghold, containing underground complexes extending at least one kilometer in length, along with numerous tunnels stretching hundreds of meters.

The channel further stated that security assessments suggest Hezbollah’s "secret headquarters" in the Badr area is located within this subterranean infrastructure in Kafrtabnit.

Hezbollah, however, denied Israeli claims of besieging its fighters in the Ali Al-Taher heights, asserting that such statements aim to boost Israeli troop morale after their failure to advance in that area.

This development followed the death of an Israeli soldier and injuries to 13 others, including an officer, caused by Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attacks near Kafrtabnit, as reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.

The broadcaster noted that the fallen soldier and the wounded were elite Israeli army personnel positioned in a fortified location during the attack near the Lebanese village on Friday.

The Israeli military confirmed ongoing operations to clear a tunnel network beneath the Beaufort mountain range, reporting the discovery of maps that reveal the threat these tunnels pose to northern Israeli settlements.

According to an Israeli army statement, forces from the 36th Division are intensifying efforts to clear the tunnel system under the mountain range, which was planned and financed by the Iranian regime.

The army indicated that the operation aims to establish operational control over the area posing a threat to Israelis and to destroy the tunnel network.