Israeli brass to brief Russian military on Hezbollah tunnels

JERUSALEM – Senior Israeli military officers are flying to Moscow to update their Russian counterparts about an operation launched last week to “expose and thwart” Hezbollah tunnels burrowed under Israel’s border with Lebanon.

The Israeli military issued a statement Monday saying the officers would depart Tuesday “to provide an update regarding Operation Northern Shield and other operational issues.”

Israel has discovered at least two tunnels since launching the operation last week that it says were built by Hezbollah to carry out attacks against Israel.

Russia and Israel have maintained a hotline to co-ordinate operations and prevent any collisions between warplanes over neighbouring Syria.

Israel frequently carries out airstrikes against Iran and its allies in Syria in an effort to prevent sophisticated weaponry from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon.