Between 30 and 40 Hezbollah fighters remain trapped inside a vast network of tunnels beneath Ali al-Taher Hill, south of Nabatiyeh, more than a month after they became isolated there, according to private Lebanese security sources who spoke to Erem News.

The sources said Hezbollah is facing one of the most complex battlefield challenges it has encountered since the outbreak of the latest war, as the group struggles to resolve a standoff involving one of its most strategically important military sites in southern Lebanon.

According to the sources monitoring the situation, most of the trapped fighters belong to Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, which is responsible for managing the group’s military sector stretching from Nabatiyeh to the Iqlim al-Tuffah area. The underground facility also includes several members of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, who had been deployed there to reinforce defenses and protect key military installations.

The sources said the fighters still have access to reserves of water, food and medicine that could allow them to remain underground for several weeks. However, available information indicates that Hezbollah has so far been unable to establish a safe evacuation route or break the siege surrounding the complex.

The sources said the situation has evolved beyond the issue of dozens of fighters being trapped underground. It has become a broader test of Hezbollah’s ability to safeguard one of its most heavily fortified military facilities.

According to their assessment, Israel has succeeded in isolating the underground complex and monitoring many of its access points, making any attempt to rescue those inside an extremely difficult and risky operation.

The information is consistent with Israeli assessments that have described the facility beneath Ali al-Taher Hill as the “nerve center” of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit. Israeli reports have said the site contains an extensive network of tunnels and fortified installations constructed over years with Iranian assistance and expertise.

Lebanese security sources told Erem News that one of the main misconceptions about Ali al-Taher Hill is viewing it simply as a large tunnel system.

They said the site is, in reality, a fully integrated underground military complex containing command and communications rooms, weapons storage areas, and interconnected underground passages linking several military positions.

This structure, they said, explains why Hezbollah has attached such exceptional importance to defending the area.

The sources said the complex served as one of Hezbollah’s main operational command centers in the Nabatiyeh region and was used in recent months to coordinate troop movements, manage deployments and direct battlefield operations away from Israeli surveillance.

Israeli assessments indicate that some of the tunnels inside the facility extend for more than one kilometer, with secondary fortified corridors designed to allow movement and resupply even during periods of heavy bombardment.

According to multiple accounts, the confrontation around Ali al-Taher Hill began as Israeli military operations expanded around Kfartebnit in June.

As airstrikes intensified and clashes spread across the area, some Hezbollah fighters positioned above ground withdrew toward the underground facilities.

But Lebanese security sources said the fighters did not enter the tunnels as an emergency escape measure. Rather, they had already been stationed inside the complex because it functioned as a permanent command and deployment center.

As Israel increased its control over the surrounding area and expanded its firepower, the tunnel network gradually turned into an isolated pocket. Some entrances were sealed, while others came under continuous surveillance.

The sources estimated that the Israeli military opted to surround the tunnel entrances and exhaust those inside rather than launch a direct assault through narrow and fortified underground passages. They said the approach was designed to reduce Israeli casualties while maintaining sustained pressure on Hezbollah fighters.

Although the Radwan Force has been frequently mentioned in recent reports about the facility, Lebanese security sources said the majority of those trapped belong organizationally to the Badr Unit.

They added, however, that the complex also housed several Radwan fighters who had been carrying out combat and security missions there.

The sources explained that the Badr Unit oversees Hezbollah’s geographic sector and military infrastructure in the Nabatiyeh area, while the Radwan Force serves as the group’s elite unit responsible for special operations and offensive missions.

The presence of personnel from both units inside the facility, they said, reflects the strategic importance of the site and its role within Hezbollah’s military structure.

The fate of the trapped fighters remains the subject of conflicting accounts.

While Israeli reports have suggested that supplies inside the tunnels are running low, Lebanese security sources insist that existing reserves remain sufficient to allow those inside to stay underground for a prolonged period.

As a result, the confrontation appears to have developed into a war of attrition rather than a rapid military operation.

Hezbollah has continued to reject Israeli claims that it has achieved full control of Ali al-Taher Hill, while providing no detailed response to reports that fighters remain trapped inside the complex.

Between the two competing narratives, Lebanese security sources said the information available to them indicates that Israel has succeeded in isolating part of Hezbollah’s most sensitive military infrastructure, particularly assets linked to the Badr Unit.

They added that Hezbollah is increasingly facing the challenge of preventing the underground facility from becoming one of its largest military and organizational losses in southern Lebanon since the latest fighting began.