Four Israeli soldiers killed by explosive drone strike in southern Lebanon

The IDF said Thursday evening that four soldiers were killed the previous night when an explosive drone struck the village of Tebnine in southern Lebanon. Among the dead was the commander of the 52nd Armored Battalion.

In response, the army carried out very heavy fire throughout the night in Tebnine and other areas in southern Lebanon. The IDF said it also launched airstrikes and artillery fire to intensify its attacks.

An IDF spokesperson said, "The IDF struck throughout the night and continues to strike terrorists and Hezbollah terror infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon. The strikes were carried out after repeated ceasefire violations by the Hezbollah terror organization."

Residents in northern border communities were told that the army had gone through "a very difficult night" because of severe violations of the ceasefire agreement by Hezbollah. The IDF said it had to respond with strong force, that strikes would continue, and that explosions would be heard across the area. It added that there was no change for now in civilian home-front defense instructions.