IDF confirms it has been operating beyond borders of its southern Lebanon security zone

The Israeli military confirms that it has been conducting raids in recent days beyond its declared “forward defense line,” which demarcates the IDF’s security zone in southern Lebanon.

According to a military official, the goal of the raids is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and better defend the security zone amid the terror group’s increased use of first-person view (FPV) drones in attacks on troops in southern Lebanon and in northern Israel.

In a video statement, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin says troops are carrying out ground operations “in places where I, as a battalion commander, was unable to reach, and they are doing so with great success.”

Meanwhile, the IDF announces that it has killed 2,500 Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon since hostilities escalated amid the war with Iran. 800 of them were killed since the porous ceasefire took effect on April 16. Amid the multi-front war of recent years, around 8,000 Hezbollah operatives have been killed by Israel, according to the military.

The IDF says that in the past two weeks, several top Hezbollah operatives were killed in strikes. The announcement is made after the military says it obtained intelligence confirming the “most senior field commanders of Hezbollah” were killed.

According to the IDF, they include the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in the Khiam area; an assistant to the deputy commander of the Badr regional division; the intelligence officer for the Beaufort Castle area; the chief of engineering in the Yohmor area and his deputy; the commander of Hezbollah’s forces in Jibchit; and the chief of engineering in the Jouaiya area.