Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Six Israeli soldiers were killed in a clash with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on November 13.
The clash took place as Israeli troops moved into the second line of towns across from the border as the IDF said it had further expanded its ground operation in southern Lebanon. The slain troops all served in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion.
According to an initial IDF probe, the soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with at least four Hezbollah fighters inside a building in a town in southern Lebanon. At least one other soldier was moderately wounded in the clash. Lebanese media said that the town where the deadly incident took place is Bint Jbeil.
This was the second deadliest day for the IDF in southern Lebanon after eight soldiers were killed by Hezbollah on October 2.
Hezbollah announced 24 operations on November 13, including an attack with tactical ballistic missiles on the HaKirya base close to the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv where the headquarters of the General Staff and other key facilities of the IDF are located.
From its side, the IDF continued to launch strikes against Hezbollah targets, including weapons production and storage sites as well as command centers, from southern Lebanon to the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Casualties, including civilians, were reported by Lebanese media.
The clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli border first broke out after the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, with Hezbollah launching attacks in support of the Palestinian enclave. Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon starting from September 17 and on September 27 it assassinated the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nassrallah.
The IDF escalated further on September 30 by launching a limited ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
All in all, the confrontation has so far resulted in 43 civilian deaths in Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as well as the deaths of at least 69 soldiers and security officers. On the Lebanese side, more than 3,300 people have been killed, including more than 500 members of Hezbollah.
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