Major Nimrod Hillel killed in Lebanon
Soldier killed by anti-tank missile in Lebanon; Elite reserves unit in major battle with Hizbullah members near village in eastern region of south Lebanon; 4 soldiers lightly injured
An Israel Defense Forces reserve soldier was killed and another seriously injured by an anti-tank missile fired in the village of Labona in south Lebanon, it was released for publication Friday.
The soldier has been named as Major Nimrod Hillel, of Rosh Ha'ain.
Heavy exchanges of fire are taking place Friday between reserve elite soldiers and Hizbullah members in the Lebanese village of Rashaf, in the eastern region of southern Lebanon. Four soldiers were lightly injured in the fighting.
A reserve force operating in the village of Ramnin in the western region killed a number of terrorists and found weapons cache.
IDF soldiers cross the border (Photo: AFP)
During the morning hours an anti-tank missile was fired at an IDF convoy traveling in the area. As a result one soldier was lightly to moderately injured. The force returned fire.
In battles held on Friday, a soldier was moderately injured and another soldier was lightly wounded during a parallel area in the western region of south Lebanon. Two soldiers were taken to hospital for treatment.
On Thursday, eight soldiers were seriously injured, an additional eight were lightly to moderately injured, and two other soldiers were lightly wounded in battles in the villages of Markhava, Marj Ayoung, Anta, and Labona.
Medical sources in Lebanon say that in an Air Force attack in Beirut overnight, seven people were killed, and another injured.
Residents of the Lebanese capital reported hearing six powerful explosions during the attack.
On Thursday, four soldiers were seriously injured and three lightly injured during operations in Marj Ayoung in the eastern district.
The soldiers were injured as a result of missiles fired at an IDF convoy to supply forces operating in the area.
Tank hit
Meanwhile, in the central district, around of the area of the town of Ainta, a Merkava tank was hit by a similar missile.
One of the soldiers in the tank was seriously injured and two were lightly to moderately wounded.
A second tank which arrived to rescues the wounded was also hit by an anti-tank missile and one of the tank's crew members was also seriously injured.
In the village of Merkava in the central district two soldiers were injured by exchanges of fire, and battles raged for long hours, during which a further eight soldiers were lightly to moderately wounded.
The last serious incident on Thursday took place in the village of Labona in the western region not far from the coast. A number of anti-tank missiles were fired at forces operating in area, and vehicles and a tank were struck, killing one tank crew member and injuring another seriously.
They were in a Merkava Siman 2 tank.
"It's already clear that one of the most important aspects to be checked after the war is the issue of firing missiles at armored vehicles in general tanks specifically," a ground forces source told Ynet. "We'll check the whole issue of protection, and we'll analyze every incident. There will be conclusions with impact on future developments, on defense systems. We won't hesitate to check if someone was too complacent. Up to now 30 vehicles have been hit, and we lost soldiers in some of them. We must and need to check ourselves," he said.
