Israel Targets Hizbullah Air Defenses in Lebanon

The Israeli military announced Sunday that it conducted airstrikes on Hizbullah’s air defense units in northeastern Lebanon’s Baalbek area. This action came after Hizbullah downed an Israeli military drone. The strikes targeted a compound and infrastructure associated with Hizbullah’s air defenses in the Baalbek District. According to sources, the areas hit were Janta, a mountainous region near the Syria border, and Sifri, in the center of the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon’s Civil Defense Department reported no casualties from the airstrikes.

Baalbek, known as a Hizbullah stronghold, lies approximately 100 kilometers from the Israeli border. This recent operation marks the fifth Israeli strike in the Baalbek region during the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. The IDF stated that these strikes were in retaliation to Hizbullah’s action of shooting down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon, utilizing a surface-to-air missile.

Hizbullah initially claimed to have downed an Elbit Hermes 450 drone but later said it was a Hermes 900, both types being employed by the IDF for surveillance and offensive operations. Following this incident and Hizbullah’s successful downing of a Hermes 450 drone in February, the IDF has intensified its strikes in Lebanon.

The backdrop of these events is a tense regional atmosphere, escalated by an Israeli strike in Damascus that resulted in the deaths of seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including a senior Quds Force commander. This has led to threats of retaliation from Iran, with Hizbullah echoing support for Iran’s stance.

Amid this tension, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared the group’s significant capabilities had yet to be deployed in the conflict, which has seen near-daily attacks on Israeli borders by Hizbullah-led forces since the October 7 Hamas attack. Israel, anticipating further escalations, has mobilized additional troops and heightened its defense readiness.