See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER Published: 23:22 BST, 10 September 2026 | Updated: 02:11 BST, 11 September 2026
Israel has blown up a key tunnel network built by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, causing a 4.1 magnitude tremor from a blast that filled the night sky with flames and billowing plumes of smoke. The explosion on Thursday, which sent shockwaves rippling across the region for miles, obliterated the major underground complex built by the Iran-backed terrorist organisation.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday evening it had demolished the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. It is understood 1,100 tons of explosives were used.Footage released by Israel's defence minister Israel Katz shows the dark night skies emblazoned with orange fire as smoke billows out from the destroyed tunnels. The video was captioned: 'We promised and we delivered. The terrorists were eliminated and the Ali Taher tunnels were destroyed. Kudos to the IDF.'Meanwhile, the operation was captured by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli sources said dozens of Hezbollah fighters were found dead inside the tunnels – which have long been seen as a flashpoint in the Israel-Hezbollah war. 'This is strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning,' said a joint statement by Netanyahu and Katz.The destruction 'completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge - above and below ground,' the statement added.The United States Geological Survey meanwhile reported a 4.1 magnitude tremor in the area, after Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israel carried out a 'massive explosion' on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region, 'causing tremors and a powerful rumble'. Israel has blown up a key tunnel network built by the Hezbollah group in Lebanon on Thursday The explosion on Thursday, which sent shockwaves rippling across the region for miles, obliterated the major underground complex built by the Iran-backed terrorist organisation Footage released by Israel's defence minister Israel Katz shows the dark night skies emblazoned with orange fire as smoke billows out from the destroyed tunnelsAFP journalists in south Lebanon also said they heard 'huge explosions' on Thursday evening. 'We were sitting there and everything shook,' Joelle Fares, who recently moved to Majayoun, said.The Israeli army said the Hezbollah infrastructure extended for more than two kilometres (1.2 miles) and contained 'dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), as well as machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices'.The underground compound also included a command centre of Hezbollah's 'Badr' unit, the army added.A military official said that some of the militants that had operated in the area of the ridge had abandoned it, while others were 'eliminated by aerial strikes and artillery fire'.Israel announced last week that it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge. Located about 15 km (10 miles) from the Israeli border, the hills have a commanding view of a broad sweep of southeastern Lebanon.In March, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Middle East war in support of its backer Iran. There had been a lull in violence after the understanding reached between Iran and the United States in June, followed by an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.But strikes have increased in intensity in recent days. During negotiations, the United States, which sponsored the talks, proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, but Hezbollah refused, a source close to the parties told AFP.Beirut authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in total since March, and Israeli forces continue to occupy a so-called 'security zone' in the south.The Ali al-Taher ridge was controlled by the Israeli military from 1982 to 2000 during its occupation of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is believed to have built an extensive underground network following the Israeli withdrawal. Reuters reported earlier this month that Iran had warned the United States against an Israeli attack on the ridge. READ MORE: Inside the weapon-filled tunnels beneath a Lebanon castle which was long a Hezbollah stronghold and used to launch deadly strikes and drones
