Israel says troops have taken control of Lebanon’s Wadi Saluki

The Israeli military says it has achieved “operational control” over the Wadi Saluki stream area in southern Lebanon, around 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border.

Troops of the 7th Armored Brigade and Egoz Commando Unit “completed an operation to achieve operational control and clear the area north of the Saluki stream” of Hezbollah infrastructure, the IDF says.

The IDF says the operation is part of its efforts “to strengthen operational control in southern Lebanon and remove the direct threat to the communities of the Galilee Panhandle and Metula.”

“The Saluki stream area is used by the Hezbollah terror organization as infrastructure for operating explosive drones and carrying out rocket fire against IDF troops operating in the area,” the military says.

During the operation, the ground troops and the Israeli Air Force struck and destroyed hundreds of Hezbollah sites and killed over 50 members of the terror group, the IDF says, adding that troops also captured weapons, including anti-tank missiles and explosives.