Israeli troops have begun “limited and targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces announced today.
The IDF said troops from the 91st Division had begun the ground operations in “recent days.” It said the military action was targeting key strongholds of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon’s south, with the aim of “enhancing the forward defense area.”
The Israeli military said it would seek to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and to kill operatives in the area “in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.”
It noted that prior to the troops’ entry, the IDF had carried out strikes in the south.
Israeli forces have hammered Beirut and other areas with deadly strikes, with at least 850 people killed in the country since the wider war in the region began. Thirteen people have been killed in Israel.
