Southern Lebanon became the scene of one of the most intense military confrontations of recent weeks early Friday, as Israeli forces attempted to advance along the strategic Ali al-Taher and Kfartebnit axis. Heavy ground fighting, missile attacks, and aerial bombardments unfolded simultaneously. The Lebanese Resistance reported destroying several armored targets and thwarting an infiltration attempt, while Israeli warplanes struck multiple villages in the Nabatieh area, killing large numbers of civilians.
Ambush at Ali al-Taher: Heavy Fighting on a Strategic Southern Front
Lebanese media sources reported widespread clashes early Friday along the Ali al-Taher and Kfartebnit axis in southern Lebanon. According to these reports, the Islamic Resistance halted an Israeli advance toward the strategic heights of Ali al-Taher through heavy fire and a planned ambush.
In a statement, the Islamic Resistance said an Israeli armored and infantry unit was lured into a pre-designated kill zone and targeted with missile strikes. The Resistance claimed that three Merkava tanks were hit and destroyed by guided missiles during the operation.
Field sources simultaneously reported fires in several armored vehicles on the outskirts of Kfartebnit. Israeli media also described a “very serious incident” involving Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, although reports indicate details have been restricted under military censorship.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that several wounded Israeli soldiers had been transferred to medical centers in the occupied territories. Some Israeli sources said the incident was caused by a tank striking an explosive device.
Airstrikes on Nabatieh Expand the Scope of Escalation
As ground fighting continued, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on multiple locations across southern Lebanon. Lebanese sources reported that the towns of Harouf, Sharqiyeh, Kfarsir, and Qatrani in the Nabatieh region were targeted.
Lebanon's Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon killed 18 people and wounded 33 others.
Initial reports indicate that the strikes caused extensive damage to residential areas and resulted in numerous casualties. Reports also emerged of residents trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings.
In response, the Lebanese Resistance said it targeted Israeli military positions and troop concentrations around Kfartebnit and the Ali al-Taher heights with missiles and mortar fire. Media outlets close to the Resistance also reported air-defense missile launches toward Israeli helicopters operating over southern Lebanon, suggesting a possible expansion of hostilities into the aerial domain.
Developments were not confined to Lebanon. Local sources in Syria reported that a column of nine Israeli armored personnel carriers entered the village of al-Asbah in the southern countryside of Quneitra, amid rising tensions along southern Syria's border regions in recent months.
Overall, field reports indicate that the Ali al-Taher–Kfartebnit axis remains one of the most sensitive and volatile fronts in southern Lebanon, witnessing heavy ground combat, airstrikes, and extensive exchanges of fire over the past several hours.
Hezbollah Details the Previous Night's Heavy Fighting
In two separate statements, the Islamic Resistance outlined details of recent clashes in the Ali al-Taher heights overlooking the key southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh.
In its first statement, Hezbollah said, “In defense of Lebanon and its people, based on the legitimate right of resistance against occupation and the liberation of territory, and in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire within the framework of the Ashura Operations, Islamic Resistance fighters monitored an Israeli armored and infantry force attempting to infiltrate the northern flank of the Ali al-Taher heights. They lured the force into an ambush and then targeted it with various weapons.”
The statement added that three Merkava tanks were struck by guided missiles, resulting in their complete destruction and ignition. Resistance fighters continued engaging enemy forces with heavy missile and artillery fire, and clashes were still ongoing at the time the statement was issued.
In its second statement, Hezbollah said that following the deadly ambush described in Statement No. 1, another Israeli force attempted to advance under cover of thick smoke and dozens of illumination flares to evacuate its dead and wounded personnel. Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the force with missile barrages and mortar fire, inflicting confirmed casualties.
Bloody Morning in Lebanon: Intensified Israeli Attacks and Rising Death Toll
As tensions escalated along Lebanon's borders, the Zionist regime launched a new wave of air and artillery strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon early Friday, leaving at least 18 people martyred and dozens wounded, according to preliminary reports.
According to Al Mayadeen, Israeli warplanes and drones struck multiple areas in southern Lebanon. The towns of Toul, Habboush, Doueir, Deir al-Zahrani, Blat, Jabal al-Rafii, and Sajd in Nabatieh Governorate were among those targeted. The Jbour area in Jezzine district was also bombed.
Alongside the airstrikes, Israeli artillery shelled several other towns, including Bani Hayyan, Srifa, and Qallawiyah. Reports indicate extensive damage to residential areas and a growing number of casualties.
In eastern Lebanon, an airstrike was reported on the Litani River basin near Zellaya in the western Bekaa Valley, indicating that the attacks had expanded beyond southern Lebanon.
An Israeli drone also targeted a motorcycle on the Deir al-Zahrani road, killing at least one person according to preliminary reports.
In another development, local sources reported a massacre in the town of Doueir. According to available information, at least seven people were killed and several others wounded in the attack.
Preliminary figures indicate that at least 18 Lebanese citizens have been martyred and dozens more injured in Israeli attacks since early Friday morning.
NOURNEWS