Tel Aviv, June 19
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced that it has eliminated Muhammad Ahmed Kharis, Hezbollah's anti-tank commander, during a military operation conducted in southern Lebanon.

"During the night, the IDF attacked and killed, using aircraft, terrorist Muhammad Ahmed Kharis, the anti-tank commander in the Shebaa compound of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, in the Nabatiya region in southern Lebanon. During the war, the terrorist promoted numerous firing patterns towards the State of Israel, including the anti-tank firing towards Mount Dov, which led to the death of the late Sharif Su'ad on April 26, 2024," the IDF said in a post on X.

The Israeli military further asserted that the eliminated Hezbollah commander continued to promote terrorist patterns in southern Lebanon in a manner that violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

"The IDF continues to monitor and thwart attempts by the terrorist organisation Hezbollah to promote readiness to harm the State of Israel under the auspices of the operation with Iran, and will continue to work to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel," the IDF stated.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the IDF on Thursday mentioned that 40 Israeli Air Force fighter jets, under precise intelligence guidance from the Intelligence Department, attacked dozens of military targets in Tehran and other areas throughout Iran with more than 100 munitions.

The IDF also attacked a non-active nuclear reactor in the Arak region of Iran.

"As part of the wave of attacks and as part of the IDF's extensive operations to damage the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons program, the nuclear reactor in the Arak region of Iran was attacked, including the structure that seals the reactor, which is a main component in plutonium production," the IDF posted on X.

The IDF highlighted that the construction of the reactor began in 1997 but was not completed due to the intervention of the international community. The reactor is designed to produce high-yield plutonium, which would enable the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

"The attack was carried out against the component intended for producing plutonium, thus preventing its ability to be reused to produce nuclear weapons," said the IDF.

The Israeli military further stated that the Air Force attacked a site used to develop nuclear weapons in the Natanz area of Iran on Wednesday night.

According to the IDF, the site houses unique components and equipment used to develop nuclear weapons, and projects are being developed there that enable the acceleration of the nuclear weapons programme.

“The fighter jets also attacked military production sites of the Iranian regime, including factories for producing raw materials, components used to assemble ballistic missiles, and sites for creating Iranian air defence systems and missiles. In addition, air defence batteries, missile storage sites, radars, and detection means of the Iranian regime were destroyed from the air," the IDF added.

The latest conflict between both nations began last Friday, when Netanyahu announced the launch of 'Operation Rising Lion' against Iran, a targetted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat of nuclear weapons to Israel's very survival. This action prompted swift and aggressive retaliation from Tehran, pushing the region closer to the brink of a broader war.

Israeli military eliminates Hezbollah commander in Lebanon