The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published video and photos of an underground tunnel and bunker that were discovered beneath a Shia village in southern Lebanon, and were used by Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force.
In a statement, the IDF said:
The soldiers of the 8th Brigade combat team, under the command of the 91st Division, continue to conduct limited, localized, targeted raids based on precise intelligence in southern Lebanon. Together with the Yahalom Unit, the soldiers located an underground compound stretching across 800 meters that served as a command center for Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces. Inside the underground compound, the IDF found helicopter-fired missiles, mortar shells, motorcycles, living quarters, and means for long-term stays, including a kitchen stocked with food and supplies. Hezbollah intended to mobilize these weapons as part of their “Conquer the Galilee” invasion plan and deliberately embedded this underground command center below a civilian area in southern Lebanon.
During the targeted raid on the compound, the troops engaged in an encounter with a terrorist who had embedded himself in the headquarters. Guided by an Israeli Air Force aircraft, the terrorist was eliminated. The troops are continuing their activity in the area and are investigating the tunnel route.
IDF Spokesperson RAdm Daniel Hagari: “They were planning, with these motorcycles here, to enter Kiryat Shemona, to Yiftah, to villages and positions inside Israel and conduct a massacre. They were here only a couple of days ago.”
The Hezbollah plan to “Conquer the Galilee” was revealed earlier this month after Israel first sent ground troops into Lebanon.
Hezbollah tunnels are distinguished from Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip by differences in design and function. Hamas tunnels have arched roofs, and most appear to be a means of moving about underneath Gaza, undetected. Hezbollah tunnels are rectangular and appear to be sturdier, with many underground rooms for soldiers and supplies.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
