JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli troops carried out a last-minute special operation in southern Lebanon, seizing control of a strategic ridge just before a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The Israeli Air Force’s elite Shaldag unit landed on the so-called Cristofani Ridge, located several kilometers north of Mount Hermon, and established control of the area, according to the military.

Special forces landed minutes before the ceasefire went into effect, the IDF said. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who approved the raid, observed the operation from the Israel Air Force’s command center alongside IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.

The military described the ridge as a key position, though it provided no further details on its strategic importance or the full scope of the operation.

The ceasefire aims to halt more than a year of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that began after the Iran-backed group launched attacks in support of Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel.

No immediate comment was available from Hezbollah or Lebanese officials.