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Hezbollah on June 13 released video footage showing what it described as an attack with “qualitative missiles” against a gathering of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) close to Beaufort Castle to the north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
In footage, Hezbollah fighters are seen preparing then launching two Jihad-2 short-range precision guided ballistic missiles.
Israeli troops last month crossed the Litani’s 90-degree bend, just across from the border town of Metula, and stormed Beaufort, which overlooks the Galilee Panhandle in northern Israel, as well as the city of Nabatieh. Now, they are reportedly working to expand their control from the castle.
Jihad-2, unveiled by the group at the peak of the previous round of fighting more than a year ago, is believed to be a version of Iran’s BM-45.
Hezbollah’s version comes with the range reduced from 45 kilometers, to just 20 kilometers. However, the warhead weight was increased from 150 kg to 250 kg. The short-range missile is reported to be guided by a satellite-aided inertial navigation system.
The missile’s extremely short range makes it very difficult to intercept. This, coupled with its fairly heavy warhead, makes it a suitable weapon to target IDF gatherings in southern Lebanon.
It’s worth noting that Hezbollah has been firing some of its longer range precision guided missiles, even cruise missiles at IDF gatherings in southern Lebanon, although no hits have been reported yet. The flight path of such missiles makes them exposed to Israel’s air defense network, which covers a good part of Lebanon.
Aside from the fact that Hezbollah’s missile arsenal has clearly survived the IDF’s relentless bombardment, the latest attack shows that the group is adapting tactics in the face of the Israeli presence in southern Lebanon.
That being said, it is unclear yet if the group will be to keep using such heavy weapons, as its main supply route via Syria was cut with the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad more than a year ago.
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gee, another israeli myth laid to rest. i hope israel fights to the end…theirs.
hezbollah needs tactical boom boom