The IDF said Monday that two soldiers were seriously wounded Sunday afternoon when anti-tank fire struck IDF forces in southern Lebanon.
In a separate incident, one soldier was seriously wounded and two others were moderately wounded when an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, fell near an IDF unit. Another soldier was moderately wounded in an operational accident in southern Lebanon. All were evacuated to a hospital for treatment and their families were notified.
The forces in Lebanon — which have advanced as far as the Litani River, at times 8 to 10 kilometers (5 to 6 miles) from the border — are operating under heavy artillery fire, indirect fire and anti-tank missiles. During the fighting, soldiers receive real-time alerts over the radio warning of incoming mortar fire. In many cases, there is little time to take cover, sometimes just 0 to 5 seconds. Those able to do so enter armored vehicles, while others seek shelter behind rocks or building walls.
Despite statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Sunday at Northern Command that he had instructed the military to “further expand the existing security zone,” the army insists it is not establishing a fixed security zone, since the forces are mobile. The goal of the maneuver is to create a security buffer deeper inside Lebanese territory, away from the border, to reduce rocket fire on residents of northern Israel.
While the IDF has pushed Hezbollah away from direct, close-quarters combat, the group continues to launch hundreds of rockets daily, along with UAVs and anti-tank missiles. Since the start of the operation, five soldiers have been killed by anti-tank fire, combat encounters and rocket fire. More than 30 additional soldiers have been wounded in the fighting in southern Lebanon.