BEIRUT: Hezbollah said on Thursday its fighters were battling Israeli forces in south Lebanon, as a military source on the ground said Israeli troops were slowly advancing while “systematically destroying” border towns.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah attacked Israel to avenge the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel responded with intense strikes on Lebanon that have killed over 1,000 people and displaced over a million more, according to local authorities, and by launching ground operations in the south.

In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters had ambushed Israeli troops entering the border town of Taybeh and destroyed a tank.

Resistance group repeats denial of having ‘cells’ in Kuwait

“The enemy then attempted to continue its advance” from a nearby area, but fighters “again targeted them with guided missiles, scoring direct hits and destroying five Merkava tanks”, Hezbollah added. “Enemy soldiers were seen fleeing the area of engagement.”

The Israeli army announced on Monday that it had launched “limited” ground operations in Lebanon. A military source in south Lebanon said that the Israeli army was advancing slowly and “systematically destroying” the border villages it enters.

‘Violent night’

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a “violent night” in Khiam and Taybeh, saying the towns were “targeted by several airstrikes and subjected to heavy artillery shelling that continued until dawn”.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah said it had repelled an attempt by “Israeli enemy soldiers to advance” in Khiam.

In recent days, the group has reported targeting Israeli forces on the border with Lebanon and inside Lebanese towns such as Khiam.

The town overlooks part of southern Lebanon and northern Israel and was the first point into which Israeli forces advanced after the start of the war.

It was also the site of intense clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah during their last war in 2024. The military source on the ground said that Israeli soldiers “have almost captured the town”.

“They advance one or two kilometres a day and take the time to systematically destroy the towns they enter, such as Kfar Kila or Aitaroun,” he added.

“They bulldoze what is not destroyed by airstrikes or artillery” while “they are engaged in ground fighting against Hezbollah, whose men are fighting in small groups”.

Israel has issued warnings to all residents south of the Zahrani River, more than 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the border, to evacuate, and has said it wants to create a buffer zone in Lebanon to protect residents of north Israel.

On Wednesday, the UN peacekeeping force said it was deeply concerned by a “violent escalation” in Lebanon, citing “intensified air and ground activity, and increased presence of Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory”.

Kuwait cells

Hezbollah again on Thursday denied having any cells in Kuwait, a day after the Kuwaiti interior ministry announced the arrest of 10 alleged Hezbollah members on charges of planning a “terrorist” operation against the country.

This was the second Hezbollah-affiliated cell to be arrested in Kuwait this week, as the Gulf faced daily Iranian attacks during the Middle East war, which has seen Tehran-backed groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon join the conflict.

On Monday, Kuwait’s interior ministry said it arrested 16 people — 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals — affiliated with Hezbollah who had planned a “sabotage plot”.

“Hezbollah affirms its categorical and absolute denial of all the false claims and accusations made by the Kuwaiti interior ministry regarding the existence of any cells, networks, or alleged plots within the State of Kuwait,” the Iran-backed group said in a statement.

Kuwait’s interior ministry had announced on Wednesday that “the State Security Agency has successfully thwarted a plot for a terrorist operation targeting vital installations”.

“Ten citizens, members of a terrorist group affiliated with the banned Hezbollah terrorist organisation were apprehended,” it added. In previous years, Lebanon has experienced tensions with Gulf states, including Kuwait, which have expressed concern about Hezbollah having influence in the country.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026