Footage of the Beaufort outpost demolition. Photo: YouTube Screenshot.

JNS.org – A decade and a half after Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Ministry on Wednesday published footage of the demolition of the iconic Beaufort military outpost, which was located at the site of an ancient Crusader fortress on top of a cliff near the Lebanese village of Arnoun.

The video, filmed by an Israeli drone, shows two Israel Defense Forces vehicles leaving the outpost and slowly driving toward Israel. During the journey, the vehicles come under anti-tank, mortar, and light arms fire. Later, the video shows the outpost being destroyed in a huge controlled explosion.

The demolition of Beaufort was perhaps the most dramatic moment of the IDF’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000. Beaufort was a symbol of Israel’s 18-year military presence in southern Lebanon, which began during the First Lebanon War in 1982.

Even though it was just three miles from the border with Israel, Beaufort was considered one of the most dangerous IDF outposts in southern Lebanon. The road that provided access to it was steep and passed near the edge of the Israeli-controlled area in southern Lebanon.

Watch footage of the evacuation of the Beaufort outpost below: