AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, racing against time and before the limited deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump expires, has sent his army into a final military adventure before a potential agreement between the United States and Iran. He is trying to change field realities by capturing strategic and overlooking areas in southern Lebanon and establishing a third defensive line beyond the Litani River.
According to a report by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, the goal of this operation is precisely defined: gaining control of the Shaqif Valley by reaching Shaqif Castle through the axes of Zoutar Sharqi, Yahmar, Debin, and Balat, and then controlling the "Ali al-Taher" hill and other heights overlooking the city of Nabatieh.
On the path of the Zionist regime's army towards Shaqif Castle, the town of Zoutar Sharqi became one of the hottest battlefields between May 26 and 28. The Zionist regime's forces attempted to penetrate deep into the town of Zoutar Sharqi through the riverbed axis and Al-Khazan hill, but faced intense and continuous resistance and were eventually forced to retreat under fire.
The first attempt to advance towards Zoutar Sharqi was recorded on May 4. At that time, Zionist regime forces moved from the Khallet al-Raj area north of the town of Deir Siryan towards Zoutar Sharqi. When they reached one of the resistance's defensive points, resistance fighters opened fire on them with light and medium weapons, and a fierce clash occurred, resulting in confirmed casualties among the attacking forces.
Following this clash, the Zionist regime's army provided heavy fire cover to extract its forces and wounded, then dispatched several vehicles and military equipment to the area. In response, the resistance's artillery unit targeted the Zionist regime's relief and support forces with artillery shells and appropriate missiles. Also, the resistance's anti-aircraft weapons were deployed to prevent the landing or maneuvering of Zionist regime helicopters, and as a result, the regime's army was forced to transport its wounded by ground route to the settlement of Mesgav Am and from there by helicopter into occupied Palestine.
The choice of Zoutar Sharqi as the starting point for ground operations north of the Litani River was not coincidental. This town is situated at a sensitive geographical node connecting the river axis to Nabatieh and Yahmar al-Shaqif, overlooking roads and open spaces, which makes the movement of tanks and heavy vehicles easier here than in many other villages. Furthermore, controlling Zoutar could have created an advanced foothold on the outskirts of Nabatieh for the Zionist regime's army, opening the way for expanding operations east and west
But what happened on the ground did not go according to the Zionist regime's plan. From the first hours of infiltration, Zoutar became a scene of attrition warfare, where Zionist military forces were targeted by dozens of missile, artillery, drone attacks, and direct clashes. The resistance's main focus was on the advancing armored units, which turned the riverbed and Al-Khazan axes, the mainstays of the operation, into zones of constant fire, eliminating the possibility of the Zionist regime's forces consolidating their presence.
The Battle of the Numbers
The final statistics of the three-day battle of Zoutar Sharqi show that this area became a concentrated attrition field for the Zionist regime's forces. The resistance, combining heavy fire, precise targeting of armored vehicles, and direct engagement, prevented the consolidation of any sustainable advance.
According to military statements released by the Islamic Resistance's war media, 48 military operations were carried out in just three days. These operations employed a combination of missile attacks, artillery shelling, suicide drones, guided missiles, and direct battles.
Statistics indicate that "Ababil" suicide drones were the most widely used weapon in this battle, employed in 18 operations against Israeli tanks, armored vehicles, and military equipment. The resistance also carried out 15 missile attacks on concentrations of forces and military vehicles and conducted 6 artillery operations. Additionally, heavy missiles, special missiles, and guided anti-tank missiles were used.
The resistance's main focus was on targeting armored units. During the battle, 13 Merkava tanks were targeted in separate operations. Additionally, four "Namer" armored personnel carriers, several "Humvee" and "Jack Hummer" military vehicles, one communications vehicle, and several D9 engineering bulldozers were targeted.
The resistance's operations were not limited to the advancing forces of the Zionist regime's army but also included command and control centers. In one attack, a building housing the command post of a Zionist regime army armored company near Al-Khazan was hit with a heavy missile to disrupt field operation management.
Clashes were concentrated in various points of Zoutar Sharqi and its surroundings, including the riverbed, the river road, the area around Al-Khazan, Al-Khazan hill, the cultural center, the scout center, and the town's outskirts. Concentrations of Zionist regime army forces and equipment in these areas were repeatedly targeted by missile, artillery, and drone attacks.
Alongside long-range fire, three direct clashes occurred between resistance fighters and the invading Zionist regime forces. At the cultural center and then at the scout center, resistance fighters engaged Zionist military forces at very close range. These battles ended with the retreat of the Zionist regime's army forces and the execution of heavy bombing and extensive fire by them.
Yahmar: Repetition of the Same Scenario
Understanding what happened in Zoutar, where operations stopped last Thursday, helps to better comprehend the Zionist regime's subsequent move towards Yahmar al-Shaqif. This action appears less like the natural continuation of a successful advance and more like an attempt to find a new maneuvering axis to bypass the defensive knot formed in Zoutar.
It seems the Zionist regime's army tried to move past the attrition zone of Zoutar and find a new path to continue pressure on the same sector of the front.
However, the field conditions in Yahmar indicate that the main problem still accompanies the Zionist regime's army forces. Within just a few hours, Merkava tanks were targeted several times, and one was set on fire. Also, concentrations of Israeli vehicles and forces around the town were targeted by missile attacks and waves of suicide drones.
In this axis, the use of roadside bombs was also observed for the first time, indicating that the resistance had anticipated the possible transfer of battle to Yahmar and had planned for it.
Accordingly, transferring operations from Zoutar to Yahmar does not necessarily mean a change in the Zionist regime's military objective but rather an attempt to change the advance path after Zoutar became a costly attrition field. However, initial data shows the invading forces have still not been able to overcome the same main problem: advancing under heavy fire that targets armored vehicles and prevents the consolidation of field control.
The Zionist regime's army's recent advance attempts have incurred high costs while making it difficult to consolidate positions. This very issue has raised increasing questions in Zionist circles about the usefulness of continuing to remain in the Lebanese quagmire.
This problem is not limited to suicide drones and their field impact; images and news published from Lebanon are also exerting increasing psychological and moral pressure on military forces, settlers, and the home front of the Zionist regime.
Bloody Lessons of the Past
Reacting to the human and material losses inflicted on the Zionist regime's army in southern Lebanon and their impact on troop morale and political decision-making, the website of Israeli Channel 12 wrote: "The moment the army stops in Lebanese territory, Hezbollah will look for weaknesses and target forces within the framework of guerrilla warfare."
The report added: "Army commanders had previously promised the public and soldiers that targeting forces would be difficult because they would operate in a safe area within a mobile and dynamic defense. But the field reality shows that the army's high command has ignored the basic principles of guerrilla warfare and the bloody lessons of the past."
It continued: "The army's performance in recent weeks is a sign of failure in a state of operational stagnation. When forces are stationed in a fixed area and establish permanent defensive positions, they lose the advantage of mobility and surprise, becoming fixed and easy targets for Hezbollah's guerrilla units."
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