Netanyahu briefs Putin on Israel's mission against Hizballah tunnels in Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Israel's crackdown on tunnels dug by Hizballah along the Israel-Lebanon border, the Kremlin said on Saturday. 

Israel says the tunnels are used by the Lebanese group to allow fighters to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks. 

"The president of Russia stressed the importance of ensuring stability in the region," the Kremlin statement said in a statement regarding the phone conversation, which was initiated by the Israeli leader.

Observers have noted that Netanyahu may have been seeking Russian understanding for their recent moves against Hizballah, which has close ties groups under the influence of Russia in Syria.

Israel launched an operation dubbed "Northern Shield" on Tuesday to destroy tunnels it said were dug across the border by Hizballah.

Peacekeeping force UNIFIL confirmed the presence of a tunnel in northern Israel near the Lebanese border on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the military released footage - allegedly from inside one of the tunnels - which still had Hizballah members inside. 

Israel's army on Friday revealed that it has been using "passive seismic" technology to find the cross-border tunnels throughout the Israel-Lebanon border area.

The technology reportedly uses ground sensors to relay information to sensors on the border fence and to patrol vehicles.

It is believed that Israel has known about the existence of cross-border tunnels for years.