Four Israeli soldiers killed in South Lebanon fighting, officer and four reservists hurt by explosive drone

The IDF said Thursday night into Friday that four soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon, including Lt. Col. Dor Gdelia Ben Shimchon, the commander of Battalion 52 in the 401st Brigade. The names of the three other fallen soldiers have not yet been released.

According to the initial military investigation, the incident took place around 12:20 a.m. in the village of Tebnit, where a suspicious target struck the tank the force was operating. The army is still examining the circumstances. Later, the IDF carried out strikes on terrorists and terror infrastructure in the Nabatieh area.

In a separate overnight incident in southern Lebanon, a reserve officer was seriously wounded by an explosive drone. Three reserve noncommissioned officers and one active-duty NCO were also lightly hurt. The wounded were evacuated to hospitals, and their families were notified.

At the same time, the IDF launched a broad wave of strikes in Lebanon. Military spokespeople said fighter jets hit Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa region, in response to repeated ceasefire violations and attempts by the group to advance terror attacks against IDF forces.

Lebanese media reported more than 20 airstrikes overnight between the Litani and Zahrani rivers, mainly around Nabatieh and nearby villages. Lebanon’s state news agency said at least 16 people were killed, while other reports suggested the death toll could be higher.