Tremor recorded as Israel destroys tunnels in south Lebanon

LEBANON

Smoke billows from an Israeli-controlled detonation in the village of Mansouri, as is seen from Hanniyeh village, southern Lebanon, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Israel has demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, triggering a 4.1 magnitude tremor.

AFP journalists in the area heard several explosions. In a video shared by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, a huge fireball can be seen rising into the night sky.

The explosion comes a few days after Israeli authorities claimed to have taken control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, saying that the pro-Iranian Hezbollah had dug numerous tunnels there, allowing it to attack Israel from this mountainous area.

Israeli troops occupy part of southern Lebanon, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to establish a “security zone” to prevent any attacks on the north of his country.

“This is strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning,” Netanyahu and Katz said in a joint statement.

The destruction “completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge, above and below ground,” the statement added.

The United States Geological Survey reported a 4.1 magnitude tremor in the area, after Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israel carried out a “massive explosion” on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region, “causing tremors and a powerful rumble.”

AFP journalists in south Lebanon also said they heard “huge explosions” on Sept. 10 evening.

“We were sitting there and everything shook,” Joelle Fares, who recently moved to Majayoun, told AFP.

Israel announced last week that it had captured the Ali al-Taher ridge.