The Hezbollah launched a heroic and resounding battle, ambushing Israel in the town of Qantara, destroying a large number of Merkava tanks!
According to U.S. Military Observer, on March 26, an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) armored column suffered heavy losses near the town of Qantara in southern Lebanon, with as many as 21 "Merkava" main battle tanks destroyed.
The Israeli military later confirmed that its forces sustained "severe losses" during operations in the south and acknowledged that soldiers were killed. This engagement is widely regarded as the most devastating single-day defeat for Israel's armored forces since the 1982 Lebanon War.
In support of Iran, Hezbollah opened a "second front" in early March, beginning rocket attacks on northern Israel. In response, Israel launched extensive air strikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon, aiming to establish a wider "buffer zone" to eliminate the threat. The IDF deployed elite units, including the 7th Armored Brigade, deep into southern Lebanon.
The ambush took place in a narrow valley between the towns of Tebneh and Qantara in southern Lebanon. On March 25, Hezbollah fighters first spotted an IDF remotely-controlled D9 armored bulldozer conducting reconnaissance. However, they deliberately refrained from attacking it, creating a false impression of "frontline safety" to lure the IDF main force into a pre-emptively set "kill zone."
On March 26, once the IDF’s 7th Armored Brigade armored column had fully entered the ambush area, Hezbollah’s Radwan Special Forces launched a coordinated attack. They first used anti-tank missiles and explosives to destroy vehicles in the middle and leading positions of the column, instantly splitting the entire convoy in two and rendering it unable to coordinate or retreat effectively. When the IDF attempted to deploy smoke screens to cover their withdrawal, Hezbollah’s guided weapons still managed to penetrate the smoke and deliver precise strikes on remaining targets.
Hezbollah fighters accurately exploited the structural weaknesses of the Merkava tanks—particularly their relatively weaker armor on the top and rear sides. They extensively employed FPV (First-Person View) suicide drones—low-cost, highly flexible weapons capable of launching attacks from the tank’s most vulnerable upper side, effectively bypassing the Merkava’s renowned "Trophy" active protection system.
As Dao Ge put it, this ambush primarily sent a clear message across the region: Israel’s military superiority is not invincible. Previously, the U.S. and Israel held an absolute advantage through tanks and fighter jets—but now, FPV suicide drones are changing everything.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861142225094668/
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