The IDF has released footage showing the destruction of a Hezbollah cruise missile hidden inside a building in southern Lebanon. The operation took place earlier this morning (Monday) as part of ongoing Israeli Air Force attacks in the region.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari warned residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes. He stated that the IDF had identified and neutralized a cruise missile that was prepared for launch against Israeli civilians.
"We're exposing Hezbollah's tactic of concealing a cruise missile within a residential structure," Hagari explained. "The terrorists create a specific opening for the missile launch."
The IDF footage shows the identification of terrorists creating an opening in the building to expose the missile. Hagari confirmed that a precise strike eliminated both the terrorists and the missile launching infrastructure shortly before it could be used.
Hagari announced that the IDF plans to conduct extensive, precise strikes against terror targets embedded throughout Lebanon. He urged Lebanese civilians living near Hezbollah's military installations, including weapons storage sites, to evacuate immediately for their safety.
A senior IDF official identified the weapon as a Russian-made DR-3 cruise missile with a range of approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles), capable of reaching areas just north of Tel Aviv. The official suggested that the missile likely entered Lebanon through Syria.
According to Bulgarian Military, this missile is "a modified version of the Soviet-era reconnaissance UAV, the Tu-143 'Flight', which was initially developed by Soviet engineers for reconnaissance purposes. With its advanced surveillance features, it played a crucial role in Soviet tactical aviation, providing essential battlefield intelligence.
Speculation is growing that Hezbollah might have acquired several Tu-143s from the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, which received these unmanned systems from the Soviet Union. It’s crucial to highlight that the technology to convert reconnaissance UAVs into cruise missiles could be attributed to prior technical assistance from Russia."
As reported by i24NEWS, Hezbollah had intended to launch over 150 rockets, cruise missiles, and drones on Sunday, but Israeli strikes prevented the full scale of the attack.
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, the IDF remains on high alert, working to neutralize threats and protect Israeli civilians from potential attacks.
Israel Realtime contributed to this article.