Hezbollah hits Israeli tanks in southern Lebanon, forces troop withdrawal

2026-03-19 - 06:11

Shafaq News- Beirut Hezbollah on Thursday carried out attacks against Israeli forces advancing in the border town of Taybeh, claiming to have destroyed several tanks, as Israeli air and artillery strikes continued across Lebanon. In a series of statements, the group said Israeli troops attempted for the third time this week to push toward the al-Baydar al-Fuqani area in Taybeh, where its fighters set up an ambush using guided missiles. Hezbollah claimed the attack forced Israeli forces to withdraw, while helicopters were deployed to evacuate casualties under heavy fire. It added that its fighters continued striking the area with rockets and artillery, reporting that at least five Merkava tanks had been hit. While framing the operations as carried out “in defense of Lebanon and its people,” linking them to its broader response to Israeli military actions, the group also reported rocket fire targeting Israeli troop gatherings near Khirbet al-Manara opposite the Lebanese town of Houla and the Misgav Am site across from Adaisseh, along with repeated barrages on the northern Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona. The statements followed Israeli reports that the military had expanded its ground incursion up to six kilometers inside southern Lebanon with several combat brigades, indicating that forces would maintain control in the area until a party capable of preventing Hezbollah’s operations is established. Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported continued Israeli strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. Air raids targeted residential buildings in Burj al-Shamali, Shaqra, and Safad al-Battikh, as well as areas in Jezzine and the western Beqaa, including Zalaiya, Yahmar, and the Jbour hills, while artillery shelling hit the outskirts of Sheheen and Marwahin. In the Baalbek region, an Israeli strike on a residential building near the town of Shaat killed at least six people, including three women, with rescue teams continuing to search for missing individuals under the rubble. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that more than 968 people have been killed and 2,432 injured since the escalation began on March 2, including women and children.