Head of IDF Ground Forces: Army Controls Maroun Ras Area

Israel ousted Hezbollah guerrillas from a stronghold just inside Lebanon on Saturday after several days of fierce fighting, the army said, as it bombarded targets across the south of the country.

Israel Defense Forces ground forces commander Major-General Benny Gantz said troops took the hilltop village of Maroun Ras, where four soldiers were killed last Thursday, inflicting dozens of casualties on Hezbollah.

IDF troops took positions in the vicinity of Maroun Ras, in southern Lebanon, on Saturday and carried out operations to detect rocket launchers and underground bunkers where Hezbollah militants are holed up.

An IDF soldier sustained light-to-moderate wounds Saturday when Hezbollah fired on an outpost near the Lebanese border.

IDF troops uncovered several anti-tank missiles and several surface-to-surface missiles Friday night during an operation in the village of Marwaheen. They also found a machine gun, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, and ammunition.