Ground offensive in South: 36th Division 'intensifies' operations, fighting in Taybeh and Khiam

SOUTH LEBANON — Ground fighting has continued in South Lebanon between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, focusing overnight from Saturday into Sunday on the eastern border sector, mainly in the areas of Taybeh and Khiam.

Fierce clashes have mostly been reported in and around these localities in recent days, although Israeli advances have also been seen on other fronts, notably in the west, near Labbouneh, and in the center, around Maroun al-Ras.

At the same time, the Israeli army announced that its 36th Division forces 'continue their intensive ground operations' in southern Lebanon.

These "intensive'' operations aim to "destroy Hezbollah infrastructure," and according to a message on X from the army's Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee, they include searching "military buildings" belonging to Hezbollah, where weapons have been found.

The Golani Brigade, part of the 36th Division, notably discovered 'rockets, rifles, and ammunition magazines' in a building in the south.

Adraee also stated that forces from the 7th Brigade, one of the three armored brigades of the Israeli army, "eliminated more than 10 Hezbollah fighters who posed an immediate threat" in s outh Lebanon.

Fighting in Marjayoun district

Overnight, Hezbollah claimed several attacks against Israeli soldiers and the advancing Israeli army in South Lebanon, mainly in Taybeh and Khiam, as well as in Markaba and Adaisseh, localities in the eastern border sector, in the Marjayoun district.

At 7 p.m. Saturday evening, it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehicles at Tallet al-Khazzan, near Adaisseh (Marjayoun), as well as another gathering of soldiers and vehicles at Jabal Warda, in Markaba, with a salvo of rockets.

In Taybeh, soldiers and vehicles were struck four times with rockets and artillery shells between 12:10 a.m. and 12:40 a.m. at the location known as Tallet al-Mhaisebat, south of the village.

A shelling also hit Israeli soldiers southwest of the locality, at the "Khirbet al-Kseif" area. At 5 a.m., Hezbollah again attacked Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the area, this time with a precision missile.

In Khiam, the pro-Iranian formation claimed three attacks carried out at 3:20 a.m. with rockets, targeting the village itself, the Hamames hill south of the locality — which has been occupied since the 2024 war —a s well as in the "Wadi al-Assafir" valley, also to the south.

3 workers wounded in a drone strike

Nonetheless, these clashes are less intense than in recent days, due to stormy weather according to our correspondent in the South. The recent bad weather has slowed the pace of both ground operations and airstrikes, he reports.

At dawn on Sunday, however, Israeli aircraft conducted strikes on Sawaneh (Marjayoun district), Sultanieh (Bint Jbeil district), Katrani and the heights of Rihan (Jezzine district).

A drone strike hit a vehicle at the crossroads of Burj al-Moulouk, Khiam and Kfar Kila, wounding three workers. Two similar strikes also hit the city of Bint Jbeil, close to Salah Ghandour hospital, without causing casualties. Another strike occurred in the locality of Habbouche (Nabatieh district), but the missile did not explode.

During the night, strikes particularly targeted houses in Naqoura (Sour district), the main road in Habboush, and an orchard in the vicinity of Bazourieh and Burj al-Shemali (Sour district).

Other raids struck Sultanieh (Bint Jbeil district) and Kfar Tebnit (Nabatieh district), accompanied by shelling in the area and sustained fire around Yohmor al-Chaqif, as well as Zawtar al-Gharbieh and Zawtar al-Sharqieh (Nabatieh district).