WEB DESK
Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said Wednesday, marking the deadliest day for Israel on the Lebanon front in a year of clashes with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group.
“Captain Eitan Itzhak Oster, Captain Harel Etinger, Captain Itai Ariel Giat, Sergeant First Class Noam Barzilay, Sergeant First Class Or Mantzur, Sergeant First Class Nazaar Itkin, Staff Sergeant Almken Terefe and Staff Sergeant Ido Broyer, all fell during combat against Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon,” Israel Defense Forces posted on X.
The fatalities were reported just a day after Israel launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, intensifying the conflict on its northern front. Israeli troops have been engaged in fierce battles with Hezbollah militants inside Lebanese territory, as both sides confirmed ongoing fighting in separate statements.
Hezbollah claims 3 Israeli Merkava tanks destroyed
Hezbollah, widely regarded as one of the most powerful non-state military groups in the region, claimed that three Israeli Merkava tanks were destroyed during Wednesday’s combat.