IDF Targets Hezbollah After Drone Bomb Attack Wounds Three Soldiers in South Lebanon

On the night between Friday and Saturday, an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah struck an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unit operating in southern Lebanon, seriously injuring an officer and two soldiers. The attack occurred around 2:30 a.m. near the Yehalam force in the Ali Taher ridge area. The wounded were evacuated by helicopter for medical treatment; one has improved to moderate condition while the other two remain in serious condition.

In response, the IDF launched a series of strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including in Nabatieh and Ansar. Among those killed was Ali Samir Al-Hajj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force involved in advancing drone attacks against Israeli forces. The IDF stated that Hassan’s family, present at the command post during the strike, was harmed but not targeted, accusing Hassan of using them as human shields. Another senior Hezbollah commander, Abu Hassan Alaa of the "Badr" unit, was also killed in the Dier Al-Zahrani area for his role in orchestrating multiple terror attacks, including drone strikes.

Hezbollah has significantly escalated the use of explosive drones, particularly fiber-optic First Person View (FPV) drones, since March, conducting over 70 attacks. These drones, costing $300-400 each and assembled in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, can evade electronic warfare and carry several kilograms of explosives. Despite a reduction in attacks following a ceasefire in mid-April, the recent incident underscores Hezbollah’s ongoing capability to deploy these drones effectively.

The threat extends beyond Lebanon’s border, with previous drone attacks causing civilian injuries in Israel’s border communities. The IDF has tested over 100 solutions to detect and intercept these drones, including the Iron Drone Raider System, though effectiveness remains limited. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a special project to counter the drone threat, with progress reports underway.

Alongside technological efforts, the IDF continues operational actions against Hezbollah infrastructure and launch sites. Recently, forces from Brigade 55 uncovered and destroyed a booby-trapped Hezbollah facility with rockets and weapons in the Marah Aqaba area. The weekend attack, one of the most severe since the ceasefire, highlights the persistent danger posed by Hezbollah’s drone capabilities and the IDF’s ongoing efforts to neutralize this threat.