Lebanon Front: Epic Resistance of Hezbollah Fighters in the City of Khiyam

TEHRAN (Defapress) - According to a Lebanese security source and residents of the conflicting areas, Hezbollah is engaged in fierce ground battles with Israel in at least three strategic areas located in southern Lebanon.

Most of the fighting has been concentrated around the strategic and high-altitude city of Khiyam, and the Israeli army has carried out numerous air and artillery strikes against Hezbollah forces stationed in the city. After a few days, the intensity of the fighting in this area has increased, and a Hezbollah spokesman has also reported an increase in fighting on the eastern and northern outskirts of Khiyam.

The fighting continued in Khiyam while the Israeli army attempted to penetrate border towns in the central and western parts of southern Lebanon. A resident of the border village of Ayta ash Shab said clashes between Israeli and Hezbollah forces in the area had been intense.

A Lebanese security source said the village was one of several border towns that had seen heavy fighting as Israel attempted to penetrate into southern Lebanon from various points along the border, but the efforts had met fierce resistance from Hezbollah.

The clashes came as Israel had massed its forces on the border and was preparing to expand its ground operations in southern Lebanon by deploying four brigades and columns of tanks. The Israeli military said it had launched a “limited ground operation” while political officials were considering expanding the operation.

Khiyam is located on a high plateau overlooking the Hula Valley and is located along key routes to the west and the Israeli border. Israeli control of these heights could cut off Hezbollah’s lines of communication with its forces in southern Lebanon. Control of Khiyam would cut off the central and eastern parts south of the Litani River and disrupt communications with the Bekaa Valley.

On the other hand, the Israeli military has also targeted civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including bridges over the Litani River and major roads leading south, to further disrupt supply routes. Medical facilities and aid workers have also been targeted, actions that human rights groups say are aimed at undermining living conditions in southern Lebanon.

Despite more than a year of Lebanese army efforts to disarm it and almost daily Israeli attacks on its forces and weapons depots, Hezbollah has maintained a strong presence south of the Litani River. Despite intense pressure, Hezbollah has been able to show heroic resistance on the front lines in southern Lebanon, using a combination of anti-tank guided missiles, drones, and artillery against the enemy.

For residents of southern Lebanon, the discussion of disarmament seems like a funny subject. Most of the residents of these villages are themselves Hezbollah members, and many of them have joined the fight since the Israeli offensive began.

In this regard, Imad Salameh, the mayor of Khiyam, said: Hezbollah is now fighting in the field. Every city in the south has at least a few hundred forces armed with anti-tank missiles. This path will not be easy for Israel. The mayor of Khiyam added that support for Hezbollah in the south is widespread and weapons depots are scattered throughout the region.

According to a Lebanese security source, Israel is using the heights it controls on the border to bomb Lebanese areas and is trying to encircle Hezbollah forces. Israel is also establishing “safe zones” near the Lebanese border, areas where residents can stay, provided they prevent Hezbollah from infiltrating. A resident of Kafr Shuba said that Israeli forces raided his home and three others at night, searching for weapons and taking one resident away for questioning.

The immediate goal of the operation, according to former Israeli army officers, is to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to keep Hezbollah away from the border. While the official goals remain unclear, the military moves suggest a two-phase strategy that involves occupying areas south of the Litani River and establishing a heavily guarded zone north of it.

As Hezbollah fighters battle Israel on the ground, the movement’s drone and missile units are bombing northern Israel around the clock.