In the early hours of Sunday, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah launched a series of military operations against Israeli occupation forces stationed in southern Lebanon. 

According to an Al-Mayadeen correspondent in southern Lebanon, more than 20 Israeli soldiers were either killed or wounded in ambushes, with the Israeli army being unable to retrieve the bodies amid intense clashes.

The first attack took place at 1:45 am when Islamic Resistance fighters targeted Israeli forces positioned in the al-Manara settlement with a barrage of rockets. This marked the beginning of a coordinated and relentless series of strikes against Israeli targets.

Timeline of Events

At 3:15 am, Hezbollah forces escalated their offensive, firing a guided missile at Israeli soldiers stationed near the Ramia site. 

The attack reportedly inflicted casualties, killing and wounding several members of the Israeli unit. In a simultaneous operation, Hezbollah launched another guided missile at an armored vehicle in the same area, scoring a direct hit that resulted in further casualties among the vehicle’s crew.

In conjunction with these missile strikes, Hezbollah forces opened artillery fire on Israeli positions at Tal Shaar at 3:15 am, intensifying the pressure on the Israeli military.

Half an hour later, at 3:45 am, Hezbollah’s Islamic Resistance fighters confronted an Israeli force attempting to infiltrate the Tal al-Moudawwar area in the town of Ramia. Using an explosive device, the Resistance successfully repelled the infiltration attempt, inflicting more casualties on the Israeli troops. 

ISRAELI ARMY: An officer and a soldier from Battalion 9220 of the Etzioni 6 Brigade were seriously injured during battles in southern Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese news network Al-Mayadeen, more than 20 Israeli soldiers were killed or wounded in ambushes and confrontations… pic.twitter.com/0jgvoabdKX

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 13, 2024

A similar infiltration attempt was thwarted at 4:45 am, when Hezbollah fighters once again deployed explosives to confront Israeli forces trying to enter the town of Ramia, resulting in additional deaths and injuries.

As dawn approached, Hezbollah forces expanded their operations. At 5:30 am, the Resistance launched a rocket barrage on Israeli troops stationed in the Zebdine barracks, located in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms. 

The bombardment continued just 15 minutes later, when Hezbollah fighters targeted the Israeli Zar’it barracks with rockets, including the powerful Burkan rocket, achieving a precise hit on the facility.

By 6:00 am, the Islamic Resistance had shifted its focus to other Israeli positions, targeting a gathering of Israeli occupation forces in Khillet Warde with a fresh rocket barrage. At the same time, another rocket strike was launched against Israeli troops in the Shomera settlement, causing further damage and casualties.

AL-MAYADEEN: More than 20 dead and wounded in the ranks of the Israeli "army" in ambushes and confrontations at dawn today.

The occupation army was unable for hours to retrieve its dead after the first Ramyeh ambush this morning, pic.twitter.com/Y4aIgPs4HZ

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 13, 2024

The wave of attacks continued throughout the morning. At 10:10 am, Hezbollah forces once again struck, this time shelling Israeli forces positioned in the town of Maroun al-Ras with artillery fire.

These military operations by the Islamic Resistance occurred in the context of a broader Israeli assault on Lebanon that has severely impacted the civilian population. 

In addition to targeting Hezbollah positions, Israeli forces have focused their attacks on key infrastructure across southern Lebanon, as well as in the East and Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of over 1,200 Lebanese citizens and left tens of thousands injured.

(PC, Al-Mayadeen)