Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on June 20 acknowledged that a soldier was killed, and 13 others were injured in an overnight Hezbollah attack on troops in southern Lebanon.
The slain soldier was named as Sgt. First Class Nir Ben Ari from the Commando Brigade’s Maglan unit, one of the most elite reconnaissance groups in the IDF.
According to a military probe, at around 1:30 a.m. local time, a barrage of rockets and an explosive drone struck a military position in the town of Kfartebnit. The projectiles killed Ben Ari and wounded 13 other troops, including two in serious condition, one moderately, and ten lightly hurt.
Kfartebnit is located to the north of the Litani River, next to the strategic height of Ali Taher — where a large underground base with a complex network of tunnels is reported to be located.
The IDF has been attempting to capture the height for the past week. Ben Ari was the fifth Israeli soldier to be killed fighting there. Another soldier was killed in a nearby area to the north of the Litani.
Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
In a statement released after announcing the soldier’s death, the IDF confirmed that it had received instructions from the political leadership to cease fire in Lebanon. Nevertheless, the military said that it will still work to demolish Hezbollah infrastructure within its security zone — including at the Ali Taher height — as well as to strike “immediate threats” beyond it.
The IDF described the underground base at Ali Taher in the statement as the “nerve center” of Hezbollah’s Badr regional division.
According to the military, dozens of Hezbollah fighters remained holed up underground there, and fighting has taken place above and below ground in recent days.
Earlier in the day, Hezbollah announced that it had repelled another attempt by the IDF to advance towards the strategic height.
“Again, under the cover of the ceasefire, the enemy last night carried out an infiltration attempt towards the Ali Taher hills,” Hezbollah said in a statement, adding that fighters ambushed the Israeli troops and “confronted them with appropriate weapons”.
Hezbollah declared that “while it is committed to the ceasefire, it will not be lenient in confronting any enemy attempt… to expand its occupation” in southern Lebanon.
The IDF’s offensive on Ali Taher has far reaching regional consequences. Iran once again closed the vital Strait of Hormuz over the Israeli escalation in Lebanon earlier in the day, with the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters warning in a statement that this is just a “first step.”
Israel seems determined to capture Ali Taher. While the height is strategic, it is not the main goal of the ongoing offensive, which seems to be mainly aimed at sabotaging the memorandum of understanding signed earlier in the week by the United States and Iran.
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