Hezbollah Strikes Israel Intel Base With 60+ Rockets As "Initial Response" To Hamas Leader Assassination
Hezbollah on Saturday initiated what it announced as "an initial response" to Israel's assassination by drone of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, which happened in a south Beirut neighborhood last week.
The Lebanese paramilitary group backed by Iran unleashed large salvos of missiles that bombarded military bases as well as communities in northern Israel (many of which have long been evacuated), triggering alert sirens among some 90 towns and settlements.
The Hezbollah statement declared that the assault was "part of the initial response to the crime of assassinating the great leader Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri."
The Israel Defense Forces in a follow-up statement said some 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the Mount Meron area in particular, which contains a crucial IDF base which reportedly has overseen Israeli operations against Syria.
Hezbollah indicated it launched 62 "various types of missiles" against the Meron air control base as part of Saturday's retaliatory attacks, however, Israel said there were no casualties in the aftermath.
Lebanon's Hezbollah-linked Almayadeen news service has said that the targeting of Meron Base is a first of the conflict, and is of huge significance:
Located just 8 kilometers from Lebanon's southern border, "Meron" Base overlooks the Lebanese towns of Rmeish, Yaroun, and Maroun al-Ras in the central sector. It occupies the summit of Mount Jarmaq in northern occupied Palestine, making it the highest peak within the occupied territories.
Sitting at an altitude of approximately 1200 meters above sea level, the base sprawls across an area of up to 150,000 square meters, with a substantial portion of the surrounding areas believed to be under its control for military and intelligence purposes.
According to the Resistance statement released today, "Meron" primarily serves as an aerial surveillance center.
It is the sole facility responsible for managing and controlling air operations toward Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus, as well as the northern part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin. Moreover, this base acts as a central hub for electronic warfare interference in the mentioned directions, staffed by a significant number of elite Israeli officers and soldiers.
Hezbollah has already since Oct.7 been targeting and degrading Israel's vast military communications infrastructure along the Lebanese border, often publishing videos of these attacks.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hezbollah-strikes-israeli-intel-base-60-rockets-initial-response-hamas-leader