The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unleashed a new round of attacks against Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon on Saturday, conducting airstrikes that resulted in powerful explosions ripping through the night sky.
“Approximately 180 targets and thousands of launcher barrels were dismantled,” the IDF said in a statement after Hezbollah had fired approximately 90 projectiles at Israel from southern Lebanon.
“Over the past hour, the IAF struck thousands of launcher barrels that were ready for immediate use to fire toward Israeli territory,” the statement added.
“Additionally, IDF artillery struck a number of areas in southern Lebanon. The IDF will continue operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities and terror infrastructure.”
Images and videos from the airstrikes on Saturday included:
באחת התקיפות בלבנון אפשר לראות רקטות עולות לאוויר pic.twitter.com/bduoua2CFJ
— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) September 21, 2024
Israeli airstrikes reported in the Western Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, a short time ago. pic.twitter.com/WCXU8yFfE7
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 21, 2024
Massive explosion reported against a Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon as Israeli force jets carry out a wave of strikes. pic.twitter.com/QXkbdvOkHu
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 21, 2024
The Israeli military says that approximately 180 targets and thousands of launcher barrels were dismantled in Lebanon.
Following the sirens that sounded throughout the past day in the areas of the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights and Safed area, approximately 90 projectile launches… pic.twitter.com/JPPReypMM9
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 21, 2024
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BREAKING:
A squadron of F-16 fighter jets is launching intense and unprecedented airstrikes on various Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
— Omar Abu Layla (@OALD24) September 21, 2024
Relentless Israeli attacks on different towns and villages in south Lebanon. Israel is saying it’s targeting long range missiles. pic.twitter.com/o2kc5I6cyw
— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) September 21, 2024
Hundreds of Hezbollah Rocket and Missile Launchers were Struck tonight across Southwestern Lebanon, with several of them meant to fire into Central Israel. pic.twitter.com/x70tT6xwyN
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 21, 2024
Israeli Strikes are continuing against Hezbollah Sites in Southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/zP3e4pnvFx
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 21, 2024
Hezbollah Positions across Southern Lebanon are being Pounded right now; with Residents near Sidon having described the Flashes as being so Bright, that it looked like the Sun was in the Sky. pic.twitter.com/PVtavsbVRl
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 21, 2024
Massive Strikes now near the Town of Kafra. pic.twitter.com/eFIanrT4Ak
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 21, 2024
The strikes came after Israel carried out an unprecedented strike against Hezbollah on Tuesday and Wednesday, detonating thousands of pagers and walkie talkies that Israel’s intelligence services had secretly built through legitimate manufacturing companies that it created as part of a plan that was at least 15 years in the making.
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The detonation of the devices was enormously successful for Israel, thousands of Hezbollah terrorists were injured, with many sustaining severe injuries that will keep them off the battlefield forever, like missing limbs and blindness. Hundreds more were critically injured and dozens were killed. The attack also outed numerous terrorists to their communities who may not have known that they were part of the organization.
Other benefits of the attack included its minimal collateral damage, the decimation of Hezbollah’s ability to communicate, and inducing a state of fear and paranoia within the organization.
Israel also decimated Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force on Friday, killing its entire senior command in an airstrike.
מתחת לאדמה ובלב מעוז חיזבאללה בביירות: צה”ל חיסל את צמרת מפקדי ׳כוח רדואן׳ בארגון הטרור חיזבאללה
לכל הפרטים: https://t.co/s6Q3TBEZSv pic.twitter.com/BD05UKfYCv
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 21, 2024
The IDF noted that Hezbollah’s military top chain of command has been nearly entirely eliminated following the airstrikes yesterday.
Hezbollah’s military chain of command has been almost completely dismantled after a dozen significant terrorists including Ibrahim Aqil were eliminated yesterday.
We will continue operating against any terrorist organization that poses a threat to our civilians on all fronts. pic.twitter.com/F2Ewyx4WdL
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 21, 2024
Among those killed in Israel’s airstrike was Ibrahim Aqil, the Head of Hezbollah’s Operations Unit and the Commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces, who was also in charge of Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” attack plan, the IDF said in a statement.
“Aqil and the Radwan commanders who were eliminated today were planning Hezbollah’s ‘Conquer the Galilee’ attack plan, in which Hezbollah intended to infiltrate Israeli communities and murder innocent civilians,” the statement said.
Aqil is one of the founders of the terrorist group and had a $7 million bounty on his head from the U.S. government over his role in the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people, and the U.S. Marine Corps barracks, which killed 241 U.S. personnel.
The Radwan Force is the unit that is reportedly primarily responsible for Hezbollah’s terrorist operations against Israel, with one of its top goals being the conquering of the northern Israeli region of Galilee, The New York Times reported.
“The Radwan Force is dedicated to duplicating what happened on Oct. 7 in the south of Israel in the north,” said Tamir Hayman, a retired general who led Israeli military intelligence until 2021. “For that exact reason, it’s unacceptable for Israel to allow its fighters to remain in the border area.”