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Hezbollah has released more videos showing its drone units targeting troops and equipment of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon.
The group has been attacking the IDF using first-person view (FPV) suicide drones on a regular basis since the start of the ceasefire, which was brokered by the United States. Most of the drones being used are guided via fiber-optic cables, which means they are completely immune to jamming.
The latest drone strikes targeted four Merkava Mk 4M main battle tanks close to the towns of al-Qantara, Beit Lif, Bint Jbeil, and al-Qawzah on April 28, 29, and 30, as well as on May 1. Three of the tanks were hit from the rear, which suggests they took some serious damage. The drone likely missed the other tank, however.
Two more strikes hit Namer armored personnel carriers near Bint Jbeil on April 30. Neither carrier likely took much damage as they were hit from the front.
Other strikes targeted a digger on the road between the towns of al-Tayyiba and Deir Sirian on April 24, as well as two armored D9 bulldozers in Bint Jbeil on April 28 and April 29. Israel acknowledged that the strike on the digger killed a defense ministry contractor and wounded another.
Two Humvee armored vehicles were also hit near the town of al-Bayyada on April 30 and May 1. The result of the strikes are unclear.
One more strike from al-Bayyada on May 1 targeted a group of three Israeli troops. The troops were directly hit. Still, the IDF didn’t report any fatalities on that day. The drone either failed to explode, or Israel is simply hiding at least some of its casualties in southern Lebanon.
The IDF is currently developing a system to counter Hezbollah’s fiber-optic cable-guided FPV drones. Israeli military officials have acknowledged, however, that such a system will be ready in the short term, nor will it provide a hermetic solution to the threat.
During the last round of fighting, the IDF took over dozens of towns in southern Lebanon to establish a security zone for the long term. However, Hezbollah drone units have increased the cost of the occupation in a significant manner. If the group keep acquiring and deploying FPV drones, Israel could end up withdrawing.
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