IDF artillery operating from within Lebanon for first time since launch of ground op

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

An IDF M109 howitzer is seen operating in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on November 17, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
An IDF M109 howitzer is seen operating in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on November 17, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

For the first time since Israel launched its ground offensive against Hezbollah, forces from the IDF Artillery Corps have crossed the border and are operating inside southern Lebanon.

In recent days, the IDF says, the 282nd Artillery Regiment’s 411th Battalion crossed the northern border with its self-propelled M-109 howitzers and began to shell Hezbollah targets from within southern Lebanon.

The military says this increases its artillery range and allows better support for the ground troops battling Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Since the start of the ground offensive in late September, the IDF says, the 282nd Regiment has shelled thousands of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including weapon depots, command centers, and rocket launching sites, and has killed hundreds of Hezbollah operatives.

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