Ali al-Taher (Arabic: علي الطاهر) is a location in the Nabatieh district of the Nabatieh Governorate, Southern Lebanon.معجم قرى جبل عامل - الشيخ سليمان ظاهر - الجزء الثاني صفحة 105
The name is used to refer to the hills on the northern outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the village.
Geography Ali al-Taher ridge is on the northern outskirts Nabatieh, in the Nabatieh district of the Nabatieh Governorate, rising to roughly above sea level. The ridge lies north of the Litani River and its elevated position commands views over much of southern Lebanon, including Beaufort Castle and its surrounding valley to the south, the city of Nabatieh to the west and further southeast Iqlim al-Tuffah and the Rihan heights in the Jezzine District.
The area also contains a natural spring known locally as "Ein al-Tahara" and an old well, alongside remnants of ancient buildings, indicating earlier habitation of the site. The hillside is covered in places by dense, old-growth oak forest. Its elevated position also offers views extending toward parts of the Marjeyoun and Hasbaya districts.
History The site is named after a figure revered locally as a "Wali" (a righteous person), believed to be a commander from early Islamic historical periods. A Maqam (shrine) was erected at the summit in his honor. This shrine was a place of local pilgrimage for residents of nearby villages, particularly during religious commemorations.Mu'jam Qura Jabal Amel by Sheikh Suleiman Daher
The shrine was restored in 1180 AH (1766–1767 CE) by Hajj Ali Hilal, and its religious endowments (waqf) have historically been administered by the Nour al-Din family of Nabatieh al-Fawqa. The site is historically described as lying within the district known as "Bilad al-Shaqif", named after the nearby Shaqif Arnoun (Beaufort) fortress.
Edward Robinson mentioned the shrine in the account of his second journey to Lebanon in 1852, locating it west of Mount Jarmaq, although he did not personally visit the site. The shrine is also cited in several works of local and regional history, including Muhsin al-Amin's Khitat Jabal Amil, Sheikh Ibrahim Suleiman's Buldan Jabal Amil, and Sheikh Jaafar al-Muhajir's Sittat Fuqaha Abtal ("Six Hero Jurists"). Pilgrimages to the site were reportedly most prominent during the commemoration of Arba'in of Imam Husayn.
During the 2026 Lebanon War the hill was subjected by skirmishes and strikes between Hezbollah and Israel due to its strategic position near Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the city of Nabatieh. In June 2026, the Israel Defense Forces reported that the ridge contained a Hezbollah underground facility built with Iranian assistance. On July 2, the Egoz commando unit of the IDF claimed to have killed a militant exiting a tunnel in the area.
2026 siege
It was reported in September 2026 that Israeli forces had surrounded approximately 200 Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military advisors from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who were sheltering in the complex.Fabian, Emmanuel, "Iran warned US against Israeli attack on south Lebanon ridge held by Hezbollah", The Times of Israel, 3 September 2026 By 4 September, the Israeli government said that it had gained "operational control" of the ridge, with Defense Minister Israel Katz stating that the Israeli control of the ridge was part of a "security zone in southern Lebanon" that it was establishing."Israel Says It Is Cementing Its Foothold in Southern Lebanon", The New York Times, September 4, 2026. Accessed September 6, 2026. "The Israeli defense minister said Friday that the military’s capture of a strategic ridge in Lebanon a day earlier had consolidated its foothold in the south of the country, adding to concerns that Israel intends to prolong its monthslong occupation there. The Ali al-Taher ridge, about six miles from Lebanon’s border with Israel, sits above a sprawling underground base for Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that Israel has long fought." On 10 September 2026, the IDF said that it had detonated more than of explosives, destroying the network of tunnels stretching underneath the ridge and setting off tremors that measured 4.1 on the Richter scale in what Lebanon's National News Agency called a "massive explosion"."Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah underground complex at Lebanon's Ali al-Taher", The Straits Times, 11 September 2026. Accessed 10 September 2026. "The Israeli military destroyed Hezbollah underground infrastructure at the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday, adding that the operation completed the consolidation of a security zone in the area.... Lebanon's state news agency NNA said the Israeli military carried out a powerful blast at the ridge, with tremors and the sound of the explosion felt across Nabatieh and surrounding areas."via Agence France-Presse. "Tremor recorded as Israel says Hezbollah tunnels destroyed in south Lebanon; Israel said Thursday it demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, with a 4.1 magnitude tremor recorded in the area.", France 24, 10 September 2026. Accessed 10 September 2026. "The United States Geological Survey meanwhile reported a 4.1 magnitude tremor in the area, after Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israel carried out a 'massive explosion' on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region, 'causing tremors and a powerful rumble.'"Fabian, Emanuel. "IDF: Over 1,100 tons of explosives used to blow up tunnel system in south Lebanon", The Times of Israel, 10 September 2026. Accessed 10 September 2026. "The IDF says more than 1,100 tons of explosives were used to demolish the Hezbollah tunnels beneath the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon this evening. Inside the two tunnels, spanning over two kilometers, troops found dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and drones, along with firearms, anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and other explosives, the military says."
Notable people
Ali al-Tahir
See also
2006 Lebanon War South Lebanon security belt
References