Hezbollah battles Israeli troops in southern Lebanon as border towns destroyed

BEIRUT: Hezbollah said on Thursday that its fighters were engaged in combat with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, as a military source on the ground reported that Israeli troops were slowly advancing while "systematically destroying" border towns.

Lebanon was drawn into the wider Middle East conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel to avenge the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel retaliated with intense strikes on Lebanon that have killed over 1,000 people and displaced more than a million others, according to local authorities, and by initiating ground operations in the south of the country.

Hezbollah claims ambush and tank destruction

In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters had ambushed Israeli troops entering the border town of Taybeh and destroyed a tank during the engagement.

"The enemy then attempted to continue its advance" from a nearby area, but fighters "again targeted them with guided missiles, scoring direct hits and destroying five Merkava tanks."

Hezbollah further claimed that "enemy soldiers were seen fleeing the area" following the engagement.

Hezbollah denies presence of 'cells' in Kuwait

Separately, the resistance group reiterated its denial of having "cells" operating in Kuwait.

The clashes in southern Lebanon mark a continuation of the escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has intensified significantly since March. Israeli ground operations in the region have been accompanied by widespread aerial bombardment, resulting in massive civilian displacement and significant casualties among the Lebanese population.

The destruction of border towns in southern Lebanon has raised concerns about the humanitarian toll of the ongoing military operations. Local authorities have reported that the scale of displacement — with over a million people forced to leave their homes — represents one of the largest internal displacement crises in Lebanon's recent history.

Hezbollah's claims regarding the destruction of multiple Israeli Merkava tanks and the ambush of advancing troops could not be independently verified at the time of reporting. The Israeli military's ground advance into southern Lebanon continues despite the resistance group's reported counterattacks in the border region.