Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon, the military says, with the Associated Press noting it was Israel’s deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter century.

The capture of Beaufort castle near the city of Nabatiyeh came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby villages.

Describing the capture as a “major gain for Israel”, AP said Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a photograph on X showing Israeli troops walking outside the Beaufort castle.

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