Heavy Israeli military vehicles have crossed the Litani River in southern Lebanon, Israeli Army Radio reported Tuesday, in what it described as part of a ground operation north of the waterway.

According to the report, Israeli forces operated for about a week on the outskirts of the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, in territory north of the Litani River. The crossing by armored units, it said, is being viewed as a possible precedent for future operations across the river if deemed necessary.

The operation, which reportedly lasted around a week, involved troops from the Egoz Unit and Golani reconnaissance forces. They advanced and conducted operations on the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, moving covertly toward an area from which Hezbollah had been launching rockets and mortar fire at Israeli positions.

The mission had been under a publication ban imposed by Israeli military censors until recently. During the operation, several close-range clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters, leaving a number of Israeli soldiers wounded.

In one engagement, armed militants reportedly emerged from a tunnel opening, triggering a close-quarters exchange of fire.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the operation lasted roughly 10 days and aimed to reach launch sites used for Hezbollah rockets and drones.

Channel 14 reported that the Israeli military also carried out engineering work above the Litani River intended to enable future movement of both armored and infantry forces across the area.

It added that in three separate clashes near the river on the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, eight soldiers from the Golani Brigade were wounded.

The Israeli outlet i24NEWS also reported that Golani reconnaissance troops fought a major battle last week in southern Lebanon, crossing the Litani River and reaching what it described as one of the deepest penetrations by Israeli forces to date. At the peak of the advance, Israeli troops reportedly entered a neighborhood in Zawtar al-Sharqiya, a Shiite village in central southern Lebanon that the report described as a strategically important location. According to the account, Hezbollah fighters emerged from a tunnel shaft and attempted to engage Israeli forces. Some were killed on the spot, while others fled.

During additional clashes linked to the operation, around eight Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded in close-range fighting and drone attacks, the report said. The forces later withdrew back across the Litani at the end of the mission, with parts of the fighting taking place on the river’s northern bank.

Military sources said the approach to Zawtar al-Sharqiya runs through the Litani River valley and requires specialized engineering capabilities. The operation reportedly followed a previous attempted crossing earlier in the campaign by the Yahalom engineering unit and paratroopers from Division 98, which came under ambush.

In a separate statement Tuesday, the Israeli military said that since the start of ceasefire understandings, its air force has struck more than 1,100 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and killed more than 350 militants. It said the targets included buildings used for military purposes, weapons depots, rocket launchers prepared for firing, and other militant infrastructure.

Separately, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli forces destroyed a solar-powered water pumping station in the town of Deir Mimas, which overlooks the Litani River.

According to the agency, explosives were detonated at the facility after being planted earlier, causing extensive damage to a system that supplied drinking water to the town.