An Israeli strike on an alleged Hezbollah tunnel complex in southern Lebanon triggered a 4.1 magnitude tremor, after one of the biggest explosions recorded in the area since Israel occupied parts of the south.
Israel said it had demolished key Hezbollah tunnels beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge near Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
The US Geological Survey recorded a 4.1 magnitude tremor after Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a massive explosion that caused tremors and a powerful rumble. AFP journalists in the area also reported hearing huge explosions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the infrastructure had been built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning.
The Israeli army said the underground compound extended for more than two kilometres and contained Iranian-made rockets, missiles and drones, along with anti-tank missiles, mines and explosives.
The strikes came as violence in southern Lebanon intensified after a period of relative calm following an understanding between Iran and the United States in June and a subsequent agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
Israeli forces continue to occupy a so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, while Beirut authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people since March.
