Four IDF soldiers were wounded Thursday evening during an encounter with a Hezbollah terrorist in southern Lebanon. The casualties include one combat officer who was moderately wounded, and another combat officer and two soldiers who sustained light injuries.
"Yesterday (Thursday), an IDF officer was moderately injured, and an additional officer and two soldiers were lightly injured as a result of a close-quarters encounter with a terrorist in southern Lebanon," the IDF stated. "The soldiers were evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, and their families have been notified."
According to the IDF, the incident occurred at approximately 10:00 p.m. during an operational mission by the 679th Brigade in the security zone near Beit Yahoun in southern Lebanon, about eight kilometers (5 miles) north of the Israeli border.
A Hezbollah terrorist who was inside a building threw a grenade at the force operating in the area, wounding the four soldiers.
Within minutes, the troops returned fire and eliminated the terrorist at the scene. The wounded soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment, and their families were notified.
Parallel to the clash, the 91st Division's Fire Brigade carried out artillery strikes and airstrikes against several terrorist infrastructures in the area.
Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed Thursday evening that Hezbollah terrorists remain trapped inside terror tunnels in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area, stating that "IDF forces are operating in the area and are preventing the organization's terrorists from leaving the underground infrastructure or moving throughout the ridge."
The confirmation came in an announcement that troops from the Commando Brigade combat team operating on the Ali al-Taher Ridge identified and eliminated an armed Hezbollah terrorist who posed a threat to forces operating in the security zone.
At the same time, the Golani Brigade combat team, operating under the 36th Division in Zawtar al-Sharqiya, identified and eliminated five Hezbollah terrorists with assistance from the Israeli Air Force after they were deemed a threat to the troops.
"The IDF will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm the citizens of the State of Israel or its forces and will continue operating to remove immediate threats," the military said.