Hezbollah claims destroying nearly 100 Israeli Merkava tanks
Photo: File
Hezbollah has claimed a series of large-scale attacks targeting Israeli military positions, including multiple Merkava tanks, across southern Lebanon and areas along the northern Israeli border over a 48-hour period, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV.
According to the Lebanese group, at least 21 Merkava tanks were hit on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, the group reported additional strikes on around 20 more tanks, bringing the total number of claimed hits since March 2 to at least 73. Reports cited by affiliated sources suggest the figure may be higher.
“The miracle of the south”
Hezb0llah launches a record 87 operations as Taybeh turns into a “graveyard for the Merkava” with 21 tanks targeted by the Lebanese resistance fighters in a 24 hour period - I$rael’s heaviest tank losses in over 40 years
Reporting from Tyre with… pic.twitter.com/GlZkMpQJ9KHezbollah’s armed wing, often referred to as the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, said its latest operations targeted Israeli armour across multiple locations. In the southern Lebanese town of Debel, three tanks were reportedly struck with guided missiles. In Al-Qantara, attacks targeted armoured units near several local landmarks, with additional strikes carried out using drones.
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Further operations were reported in Taybeh, where nearly a dozen tanks were allegedly hit, and in Deir Siryan, where multiple tanks were struck in and around the area. The group indicated that attacks were ongoing at the time of its latest statement.
Merkava Massacre: Hezbollah destroyed/disabled 21 Merkava tanks in southern Lebanon and northern occupied Palestine yesterday. As of this morning, they’ve achieved direct hits on at least 20, making a total of at least 73 Merkavas taken out since March 2.
￭ The “Merkava… pic.twitter.com/znRpxdEXlUIndependent verification of the scale of damage and casualties remains limited.
The Israeli military said that two soldiers were killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon amid ongoing clashes with Hezbollah along the border.
This brings to four the number of Israeli soldiers killed there, after the military said two were killed on March 8.
Some military commentators have described the intensity of the reported attacks as reminiscent of the 2006 Lebanon War, during which Hezbollah fighters used anti-tank weapons extensively against Israeli armour.
HEZBOLLAH’S FPV DRONES LOCK ONTO MERKAVA TANKS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON
55+ MERKAVAS REPORTEDLY HIT, DESTROYED OR DISABLED IN JUST TWO DAYS pic.twitter.com/Yppg1IylUZAnalysts also say the economic asymmetry between the systems involved. Anti-tank guided missiles, often costing significantly less, are being used against tanks valued at several million dollars each and requiring substantial time to manufacture.
The reported escalation follows months of cross-border exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, amid ongoing tensions in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah stated that its recent operations came after what it described as prolonged restraint, while accusing Israel of continued strikes in the region.
On Wednesday alone, the group claimed to have conducted dozens of operations targeting Israeli military sites using missiles and drones, marking one of the most intense days of activity in the current phase of the conflict.
⚡️#BREAKING Hezbollah publishes footage of them striking a Merkava tank in the town square of Taybeh, southern Lebanon pic.twitter.com/Fyfd4421mR