The Israeli army on Thursday night began destroying cross-border tunnels dug by Hezbollah, it said, more than two weeks after announcing their discovery on the frontier with Lebanon.

Since launching an operation to cut off the tunnels on December 4, the military says it has located four underground passageways infiltrating Israeli territory.

"The neutralisation and destruction phase of the cross-border attack tunnels... has begun," the Israeli army said in a statement.

The army also issued a warning to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group with which Israel fought a devastating war in 2006.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) continues to operate... with reinforced troops, and is prepared with a wide variety of enhanced capabilities for any developments, should they occur," the army said.

It later tweeted that the "explosions" Israeli families were hearing in the north of the country were the sound of its "soldiers destroying Hezbollah attack tunnels".

Israel alleges Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill its civilians or soldiers, and to seize a slice of Israeli territory in the event of any hostilities.

The army said it would "continue to operate to neutralise Hezbollah's military infrastructure and to thwart" any threats from the Lebanese group against Israel and its civilians.

A month-long war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

The Israeli army said the operation to locate and destroy the tunnels was defensive, and that it would involve different techniques.

"This phase will... ensure that the attack tunnels cannot be used by the Hezbollah terror organisation and will prevent it from implementing its plans," said the statement.

The army advised Israeli authorities and UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, to notify its Lebanese counterpart to take measures to protect civilians across the border.

It said it held the Lebanese government "accountable for digging the attack tunnels".

"The IDF warns against approaching the openings of the tunnels or staying close to them on the Lebanese side," said the statement.

Related Links
Space War News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Trump stuns allies by ordering US troops home from Syria
Washington (AFP) Dec 20, 2018
US allies were stunned Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria and abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US ground troops from the country. The decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region. It blindsided lawmakers, the Pentagon and international allies alike. Britain and France warned on Thursday that the fight against jihadists in Syria was not finished. Trump earlier said: "We've won against ISIS," in a short ... read more