Israel army says five soldiers killed in Lebanon combat

The Israeli military said on Thursday that five soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon, taking to 19 the number of troop deaths announced since Israel began raids into Lebanon last month.

A military statement said five servicemen “fell during combat in southern Lebanon”, without elaborating on the circumstances of their deaths.

The soldiers were named as company commander Maj. Ofek Bachar, 24, from Nes Ziona; team commander Capt. Elad Siman Tov, 23, from Tzofim; squad leader Staff Sgt. Elyashiv Eitan Wieder, 22, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Yakov Hillel, 21, from Jerusalem; and Staff Sgt. Yehudah Dror Yahalom, 21, from Hebron.

Another officer and two soldiers were seriously injured in the incident. A number of other soldiers were seriously hurt during separate battles in southern Lebanon.

In one incident, an officer and two combat engineers from the Etzioni Brigade’s 8173rd Battalion were seriously injured, as was another soldier from the battalion’s logistical unit. The injuries came from an anti-tank missile attack.

A soldier from the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade was also seriously hurt in a firefight with Hezbollah fighters.

In the southern Gaza Strip, a soldier from the 450th Battalion of the Bislamach Brigade, the same battalion that killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Wednesday, was also seriously injured in a battle with terrorists.

The injured were brought to hospitals, and the families of the killed and injured were all notified, said the IDF.

During a press conference Thursday night, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Golani soldiers captured Hezbollah operatives during the battle in which the five troops were killed.