The Lead
Three IDF soldiers were seriously wounded early Saturday morning when a Hezbollah explosive drone struck their position on the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. The attack, which occurred around 02:30, represents a significant violation of the current ceasefire and prompted a heavy Israeli retaliatory strike against the Hezbollah command infrastructure that ordered the operation.
The wounded personnel, reportedly from the Yahalom special engineering unit, were operating on the Ali Taher ridge when the explosive drone—described in some reports as a fiber-optic guided model—struck their position. One soldier is in critical but stable condition, while two others are listed in serious condition. All three were evacuated to a hospital, and their families have been notified.
Retaliation and Human Shields
In direct response to the attack, the IDF conducted an airstrike on a Hezbollah terror headquarters in the Lebanese town of Ansar. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that this facility was the source of the order for the drone strike. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) noted that Hezbollah deliberately placed civilians inside the military compound to serve as human shields, seeking to falsely accuse Israel of targeting non-combatants. Reports from the region indicate that a Hezbollah battalion commander was eliminated in the strike, and Lebanese media reported seven fatalities at the compound.
Security Context
The Ali Taher ridge has remained a volatile sector within the security zone, where the IDF continues to dismantle Hezbollah's underground infrastructure. As The Zioneer reported earlier, this area has seen repeated ceasefire violations in recent weeks. Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will not tolerate attacks on its troops and will act forcefully against any threat. Overnight, IDF artillery targeted the Ali Taher area following the incident, while the IAF conducted a broader wave of strikes across southern Lebanon to suppress further threats.
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