2 IDF Soldiers Killed in Hezbollah Ambush in Southern Lebanon
Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed early Sunday in a Hezbollah strike in southern Lebanon, the military said, after Israeli forces came under fire during operations near the northern border.
The army identified one of the dead as Sgt. 1st Class Maher Khatar, 38, a heavy machinery operator assigned to the combat engineering unit of the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division. Khatar was from the Druze town of Majdal Shams. The identity of the second soldier is being withheld pending notification of relatives, the IDF said.
The incident occurred near an Israeli military position across the border from the Israeli community of Manara. According to an initial IDF inquiry, the sequence of events began when a Puma armored personnel carrier became stuck during activity in the area.
To retrieve the immobilized vehicle, the military dispatched a second Puma APC together with two D9 armored bulldozers. During that effort, one of the bulldozers was hit by a projectile. Investigators said the munition may have been an anti-tank missile or a mortar round.
Give the gift of hope
We practice what we preach:
accurate, fearless journalism. But we can't do it alone.
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
Join us.
Support The Media Line. Save democracy.
The strike ignited a fire in the vehicle, killing the two soldiers, the military said. An officer was also lightly injured in the attack.
The position where the forces were operating runs parallel to Israeli border communities, including Margaliyot, Manara, and Misgav Am.
Following the announcement of Khatar’s death, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, head of the Druze Community, issued a statement noting that Khatar was the first Druze soldier to fall in Operation Roaring Lion.
“The first [Druze] fallen soldier in Operation Roaring Lion, a title no family wishes to bear the honor of receiving, yet fate determined that the Khatar family from Majdal Shams would carry it,” Tarif wrote.
“The Druze community continues to shoulder the burden and pay a very heavy and painful price. The best of its young men are being taken.
“Maher’s fall on the battlefield and the bravery of Druze fighters across all units illustrate our partnership in the State of Israel — a partnership that must exist not only on the battlefield but also in everyday life.”
