The IDF's preliminary probe into the overnight incident that killed four soldiers of the 52nd Battalion, 401st Armored Brigade — including battalion commander Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon — indicates a suspicious target struck their tank near the village of Tebnit at around 00:20, according to Israeli media citing military sources. The munition type — an explosive drone or anti-tank missile — has not been definitively determined and remains under investigation. The IDF subsequently struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Nabatieh and other areas of southern Lebanon.
The IDF's preliminary probe, cited by military reporter Doron Kadosh and published Friday morning, establishes that the fatal incident occurred at approximately 00:20, when a suspicious aerial target struck an IDF tank operating near the village of Tebnit under the command of the Givati Brigade's forward command. All four soldiers inside were killed instantly. The probe determines the location as Tebnit and confirms a tank strike, but the IDF has not yet determined the exact munition — a suspected explosive drone or a guided anti-tank missile — and states the incident is under active investigation.
This development adds the IDF's preliminary probe details to the thread. At 09:45 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the IDF cleared the names of the fallen for publication, identifying Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, from Kibbutz Beit Hashita, commander of the 52nd Battalion, 401st Armored Brigade, along with three additional soldiers. Earlier reports attributed the deaths to an explosive drone; by 09:46, the IDF's preliminary probe cited by Israeli media indicated the munition type remained under investigation. At 10:17, a single military source claimed an upgraded Kornet missile caused the deaths, a detail the IDF has not confirmed.
As The Zioneer reported on Thu Jun 18, two IDF personnel were killed by Hezbollah IEDs in southern Lebanon earlier this week, underscoring the ongoing friction in the security zone. The IDF responded to the overnight incident with airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Nabatieh area and other sectors of southern Lebanon.
The IDF has not definitively stated the munition that struck the tank. The claim of an upgraded Kornet missile, sourced to a single military source, has not been officially confirmed.
8 developments
- Strong52nd Battalion gets permanent commander a week after Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon's fall
- StrongDefense Minister Katz eulogizes fallen 52nd Battalion commander and three soldiers in Lebanon
- DevelopingPM Netanyahu: 'Nation's heart aches' after four soldiers killed in Lebanon
- Strong52nd Battalion commander writes morale letter to troops after losing three commanders in two years
Source and signal
- Open-source intake