Hezbollah strikes six Israeli tanks, inflicts heavy casualties on invading troops in south Lebanon
The resistance said it also targeted Israeli army evacuation teams trying to retrieve wounded soldiers, with Hebrew media reporting a ‘serious security incident’
Hezbollah targeted and struck six Israeli Merkava tanks during heavy battles in south Lebanon overnight on 19 March, resulting in confirmed casualties among invading troops.
In a statement, the Lebanese resistance said that its fighters ambushed an advancing Israeli force in Taybeh for the third time this week, destroying one Merkava tank before targeting a second advance of troops toward Deir Siryan, where five additional Merkava tanks were destroyed.
Soldiers were seen fleeing, and Israeli helicopters later attempted to evacuate casualties, Hezbollah added.
“The enemy army deployed a number of helicopters to evacuate the injured under heavy fire and smoke cover, but our Mujahideen proceeded to target the evacuation area with rocket and artillery fire.”
Earlier on Thursday morning, Al Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoeib reported intense clashes in Taybeh, adding that Hezbollah fighters were carrying out heavy attacks targeting Israeli forces.
This prompted “hysterical” retaliatory shelling, helicopter evacuations, and heavy aerial activity over Taybeh, Odaisseh, and Kfar Kila, Shoeib said.
The correspondent also reported successive rocket barrages and sustained targeting of Israeli positions.
Israeli reports described the situation as a “serious security incident.” Heavy military censorship has been imposed on the details.
In recent days, the Lebanese resistance has been targeting invading troops and Israeli military positions established inside Lebanon in violation of the 2024 ceasefire, while escalating cross-border strikes on bases, settlements, and troop gatherings.
Hezbollah’s latest operations come as Tel Aviv is attempting to expand its ground invasion of the south.
Israel has also escalated deadly strikes across south Lebanon and the country’s capital. Earlier this week, Israeli attacks on Beirut killed 12 people – including Al-Manar TV’s political programs director Mohammad Sherri and his wife.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since 2 March, when Hezbollah responded to over a year of Israeli ceasefire violations – launching rockets at military positions for the first time since 2024.
Israeli displacement orders have uprooted close to a million Lebanese people.