Two Israeli Reserve Officers Killed by Booby Trap Explosion in South Lebanon

Two Israeli reserve officers, Major Harel Birnstok and Lieutenant Colonel Tamir Kakin, were killed on Wednesday in a booby trap explosion inside a building in Majdal Zun, southern Lebanon. Four additional soldiers were wounded in the incident. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have launched an investigation into the event, which occurred around noon during a routine operation by soldiers from the 28th Battalion of the 55th Paratroopers Brigade in the western sector of the Israeli security zone, approximately eight kilometers from the border.

The troops were securing engineering work when they entered the building, which was later found to be rigged with explosives unknown to the IDF. In response, the Israeli Air Force struck multiple Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including weapons depots, infrastructure, and command centers. The IDF stated that Hezbollah violated the ceasefire agreement.

This incident coincided with ongoing Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome. It follows a similar fatal encounter about six weeks ago, when Captain David Hazut, 21, from Ashkelon, was killed in a clash with Hezbollah militants during a building search operation. The IDF continues to monitor and respond to Hezbollah's activities, including recent drone attacks and infrastructure sabotage near the border.