Multiple secondary explosions were recorded on video at a Hezbollah munitions depot after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck the depot.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a spokesman for Israel Defense Forces International, shared a video on social media on Monday showing what appeared to be a warehouse ablaze.
The footage showed large explosions and smaller burning pieces of debris flying into the air and then falling. They were identified as secondary explosions, as rockets stored in an ammunition dump ignited dramatically and shot into the air. These explosions were clearly in civilian areas, as evidenced by the bright lights of nearby homes. (Related article: Israel targets Hezbollah base amid rising tensions)
What do you see here?
The answer will be revealed in the next tweet ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dbXtOvLCGq
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 19, 2024
“These are secondary explosions caused by large amounts of explosives and selected rockets launched after striking Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa region. Hezbollah has shown the world that it is systematically setting up these storage facilities in civilian areas, ignoring its own civilians,” the spokesman wrote.
These are secondary explosions caused by large amounts of explosives and selected rockets fired after striking Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa region.
Hezbollah has shown the world how to systematically set up these storage facilities in civilian locations…
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 19, 2024
A video showing a different angle of the rockets being fired from the bombed-out munitions depot was shared on social media by Joe Truthman, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Israeli airstrikes appear to have targeted a Hezbollah arms depot, causing a secondary explosion in Baalbek. pic.twitter.com/txRJGVhXmz
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) August 19, 2024
The IDF also released footage of an attack on a suspected Hezbollah weapons storage facility in the area mentioned in Turzman's tweet.
Israel Defense Forces: Shortly after, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the Bekaa region of Lebanon, after which secondary explosions were observed, indicating the presence of large amounts of weapons at the facilities hit.
in… pic.twitter.com/vntD4ZNVyP
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) August 19, 2024
The IDF issued a statement noting that it had struck several ammunition “storage facilities.” The IDF also claimed that Hussein Ali Hussein, a member of Hezbollah's rocket and missile forces, had been “eliminated in southern Lebanon,” and that in a separate strike they had eliminated “a terrorist cell operating from a Hezbollah military facility in the Taybeh area.”
Operational update from the Northern Front:
🔴Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked several Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in the Bekaa region. Secondary explosions were confirmed, indicating the presence of large amounts of weapons inside the facilities.
🔴Hussein… pic.twitter.com/5VnIGzHnJP
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 19, 2024
Hezbollah has been firing explosives into Israel since October 8, following a Hamas incursion into southern Israel the previous day that left about 1,200 Israelis and others dead and more than 200 taken prisoner. Israel has retaliated against the attacks. The violence between Israel and the Iranian-backed, Lebanon-based terrorist organization has led to fears of a wider conflict.
