The IDF Paratroopers Brigade and Yahalom Unit discovered and destroyed a strategic underground military facility built by Hezbollah in the past 15 years, the IDF announced Saturday night.
The massive explosion used to destroyed the huge facility at 6:30 am Shabbat morning required the use of 400 tons of explosives, and created a blast so powerful that it triggered earthquake alarms in more than 284 cities, towns and villages throughout Israel’s entire northern region.
For the past month, the Paratroopers Brigade Combat Team has been engaged in complex targeted operations in mountainous, and subterranean areas in Southern Lebanon.
During the joint operation with the Yahalom Unit, which included extensive underground searches in the area, the troops discovered and destroyed the complex, located in a spacious tunnel more than one and a half kilometers (one mile) long with multiple rooms, branches and exits. The living areas had ceramic tiled floors.
The facility held equipment and supplies that enabled hundreds of terrorists to live within for extended periods of time, including stockpiles of medical and first aid equipment, huge cases of various food supplies, fully-stocked kitchens and bathrooms, beds, storage cabinets, wired communications equipment and cameras, air conditioning and heating, and an electrical power cabinet.
“There are RPGs, more RPGs, there are hundreds of them here, “Paratroopers Brigade Company Commander Captain Nehemia said, adding there were “very significant night vision devices, a lot of ammunition … whole bunkers with cases of bullets and significant medical equipment for combat.”
The enemy escaped, but had no time to pack. Nevertheless, “You can see how big this tunnel is — many people can be here at once; you can get around with motorcycles,” Captain Nehemia added.
Huge arsenals — including cases of anti-tank missiles, rockets, RPGs, landmines, and numerous explosive devices — were also located in the huge bunker, as was a “war room” area.
“The purpose of this underground system and specifically these living compounds is for those same operatives from Hezbollah, from Radwan, to arrive from the adjacent villages or from this village as ordinary civilians on its face, dressed in civilian clothing, to enter this tunnel, this underground system, gear up on combat equipment, military vests, weapons, machine guns, ammunition so that on the day of the command, they leave for an attack on the State of Israel,” explained Yahalom Unit Commander Major “A”.
“This is a system they’ve built for over 15 years, and now we’re here and we will destroy this tunnel.”
During searches and the examination of the underground command center, Yahalom Unit soldiers engaged in close-quarters encounters with entrenched Hezbollah fighters. “All enemy forces were eliminated,” the IDF said.
The operation was conducted in cooperation with the 77th Battalion, the 8219th Engineer Battalion, the Yahalom Unit, and the Shin Bet.
