Israel discovers Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon

(CLO) The Israeli army recently discovered and destroyed a number of tunnel systems, which are believed to be used to store Hezbollah's weapons and missile launchers.

The Israeli military has been combing through a densely forested area of southern Lebanon for the past two weeks and has discovered a network of tunnels believed to have been used by Hezbollah to hide weapons caches and missile launchers.

Israeli soldiers believe this is the entrance to a Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel. Photo: AP

Hezbollah has turned to underground tunnels to avoid Israeli drones and warplanes. Experts say Hezbollah's tunnels are not limited to southern Lebanon but extend to many other parts of the country.

Southern Lebanon is “a land of tunnels,” said Tal Beeri, a researcher at the Alma Center for Research and Education , a research group focused on northern Israel security.

Hezbollah tunnels also stretch under the Beirut suburbs, where the group’s command and control headquarters and a strategic missile arsenal are located, said Eva J. Koulouriotis, a political analyst specializing in the Middle East. The group also maintains tunnels along the border with Syria, which it uses to smuggle weapons and other supplies from Iran into Lebanon.

Ms Koulouriotis said that in southern Lebanon Hezbollah maintains tunnels to store missiles and from which it can launch them. Some of the more than 50 Israelis killed by Hezbollah in the past year were hit by anti-tank missiles.

Using previous intelligence, Israel found hundreds of underground positions, many of which could hold about 10 fighters and were stocked with rations, an Israeli military official said. The military blew up the discovered tunnels or used cement to neutralize them, the official said.

The Israeli military recently said it had found a cross-border tunnel that extended just a few metres into Israel but had no entrance. Israel also discovered a tunnel shaft about 100 metres from a UN peacekeeping post, but it is unclear what the exact purpose of that tunnel was.

Israel said the tunnels were equipped with lights, supplies and weapons, and sometimes had plumbing, suggesting they could be used for long-term stays. It said it had captured several Hezbollah fighters hiding inside, including three on October 15 who were believed to be armed. The Israeli military said many Hezbollah fighters appeared to have withdrawn from the area.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/he-thong-duong-ham-cua-hezbollah-o-lebanon-dang-dan-he-lo-post317534.html