File image.
Hezbollah on August 18 released never-before-seen footage of drone strikes that targeted the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) during the previous round of fighting in southern Lebanon, in what appears to be a warning to Israel.
The group said that the strikes took place in the town of Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, located right to the north of the Litani River, in the days leading to the ceasefire brokered by the United States.
The ceasefire, which entered into effect on 19, is a part of a wider framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The agreement involves the disarmament of Hezbollah and a gradual withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon’s south. It also includes the deployment of the Lebanese army to areas where Israeli troops have pulled out, starting in test areas known as “pilot zones.”
The IDF amassed a large force at Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, and from there launched an offensive capturing a Beaufort Castle then advanced towards the town of Kfartebnit in a bid to capture the Ali Taher ridge, where a large underground base of Hezbollah is reportedly located. The assault on the ridge ultimately failed.
The footage released by Hezbollah reveals that the IDF took some serious losses at Zawtar al-Charqiyeh, which likely contributed to the decision to accept the ceasefire.
Four camouflaged vehicles, three Merkava Mk 4M main battle tanks, and two D9 armored bulldozers are seen getting hit by the group’s fiber-optic-guided first-person view (FPV) suicide quadcopters in the footage.
An additional drone strike also hit three Israeli troops who apparently fled their Merkava Mk 4M after it was stuck during clashes. The tank can be seen on fire.
The footage were likely released as a warning to the IDF, which is reported to be preparing another assault on Ali Taher with the approval of the U.S.
Violent Israeli strikes targeted the ridge and nearby areas in recent days, with one strike on the town of Deir al-Zahrani to the north killing Ali Muhammad Fakhr who was described by the IDF as a “senior commander” in Hezbollah’s Badr regional division.
The footage highlight the immense threat Hezbollah fiber-optic-guided FPV suicide quadcopters pose to the IDF. These drones, which are cheap and completely immune to electronic warfare, have proven to be a real gamechanger, allowing the group to restore some power balance with Israel.
Any Israeli assault on Ali al-Taher will likely be met with fierce resistance from Hezbollah, although it is still unclear if the group has managed to expand its drone capabilities during the ceasefire.
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