The Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported on Monday that Hizbullah held its largest military exercise ever in southern Lebanon several days ago. According to the report, thousands of Hizbullah fighters participated in the three day long exercise. The report claimed that UNIFIL troops operating in the area failed to notice the intensive preparations conducted by Hizbullah prior to the start of the exercise.The newspaper claims the exercise was aimed at deterring Israel from launching an attack in southern Lebanon against Hizbullah. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah reportedly personally commanded the drill.
The exercise took place south of the Litani river in what Hizbullah described as an "exercise of defensive nature against an overall Israeli strike." Aside from thousands of the movement's fighters, anti aircraft missile units, rocket launchers and engineering units also took part in the exercise.