The blast near the Lebanese border killed 23-year-old First Lt. Sharon Elmakayis of Atlit, near Haifa, who was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain. Three other soldiers, all part of a Golani infantry unit that Elmakayis commanded, were lightly injured when their armored Hammer vehicle ran over a mine just before noon. The terror organization's Al Manar television station in Lebanon announced a missile struck the vehicle.
IDF troops pounded terrorists with artillery and gunfire, and the Air Force bombed at least three suspected Hizbullah positions in southern Lebanon. Hizbullah terrorists shelled Israeli positions with mortar fire. The United Nations reported that a French UN officer was killed in the battle, which took place near an army post very close to the northern town of Kiryat Shimonah. Defense Ministry sources said that further IDF retaliation can be expected.
Terrorists have periodically attacked northern Israel since the government withdrew its forces from the security zone in Lebanon, but Israel has rarely responded. Hizbullah terrorists fired two Katyusha rockets into the northern Galilee several weeks ago.
Hizbullah also penetrated Israeli air space two months ago with an unmanned drone that flew for several minutes over Rosh HaNikra and Nahariya on the Mediterranean coast. This past May, terrorists killed an IDF sergeant and wounded five others in the Har Dov area.
IDF troops pounded terrorists with artillery and gunfire, and the Air Force bombed at least three suspected Hizbullah positions in southern Lebanon. Hizbullah terrorists shelled Israeli positions with mortar fire. The United Nations reported that a French UN officer was killed in the battle, which took place near an army post very close to the northern town of Kiryat Shimonah. Defense Ministry sources said that further IDF retaliation can be expected.
Terrorists have periodically attacked northern Israel since the government withdrew its forces from the security zone in Lebanon, but Israel has rarely responded. Hizbullah terrorists fired two Katyusha rockets into the northern Galilee several weeks ago.
Hizbullah also penetrated Israeli air space two months ago with an unmanned drone that flew for several minutes over Rosh HaNikra and Nahariya on the Mediterranean coast. This past May, terrorists killed an IDF sergeant and wounded five others in the Har Dov area.