Two IDF soldiers were lightly wounded on Thursday during a close-quarters engagement in southern Lebanon, during which the troops killed a Hezbollah terrorist, the military said.
The clash came amid a “targeted ground operation” conducted by the 162nd Division to bolster the military’s forward position in the country, the IDF added.
At least 40 Hezbollah terrorists were killed during the operation, according to the army.
Further, the IDF said it struck dozens of terrorist infrastructure via air, naval, and ground maneuvers in Lebanon in recent days.
Earlier, troops continued their ground incursion into southern Lebanon overnight on Wednesday, going deeper into Lebanese territory, security sources said.
Several Hezbollah terrorists were detained as prisoners of war after surrendering to Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, sources added, saying the men were transferred over for interrogation.
IDF: 'Low morale' among captured terrorists
IDF sources observed “low morale” among the terrorists who were captured, most of them from Beirut. Others were said to have fled north of the Litani River.
By and by, reports say the terrorists employed heavy guerrilla warfare, using nearby demolished terrain as hiding spots between rounds of fire aimed at Israeli troops.
Last week, defense sources told The Jerusalem Post that Israel plans to keep “effective control” of southern Lebanon for an indefinite period once hostilities end, presuming that Hezbollah will not yet have disarmed.
On Thursday, the IDF said, “In the past 24 hours, the Israel Air Force struck dozens of headquarters, weapons storage facilities, launch sites, and anti-tank missile positions. The Israel Navy also conducted a precision strike targeting a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon.”
Additionally, the 91st Division conducted ground operations that included an offensive that led to the death of a Hezbollah terrorist cell in southern Lebanon.
Beyond this, soldiers from the 36th Division engaged with and then killed three Hezbollah terrorists on motorcycles.
Meanwhile, the 146th Division dismantled over 180 terrorist infrastructure networks, and the 162nd Division located numerous weapon stockpiles.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Thursday that there was no end in sight to the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Katz to Hezbollah chief Qassem: You will 'not live to see' Israel’s full response
Amid the operations, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem that he would not live to see the extent of the “very heavy price” the group would pay for its earlier attacks on Israel during Passover.
Qassem will find himself “at the bottom of hell” alongside slain members of Iran and its proxy network, Katz continued.
His comments followed a Thursday situational assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir and other top military brass at the IDF’s command center beneath the Kirya military headquarters.
Earlier that morning, military sources said that the IDF had begun demolishing homes in southern Lebanese villages located along the border with Israel.
According to these sources, the houses targeted by the military were used by Hezbollah as bases to launch anti-tank fire and conduct reconnaissance of Israeli forces.
The demolitions were being carried out in accordance with orders issued by Katz, who last week instructed the IDF to begin destroying homes and bridges south of the Litani River.
“We have ordered an acceleration in the destruction of Lebanese homes in contact-line villages to neutralize threats to Israeli communities, in accordance with the model of Beit Hanun and Rafah in Gaza,” Katz said at the time.
He added that the military will continue to allow residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate northward.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.