The IDF announced the death of Staff Sgt. (res.) Alexander Filin, 29, from Haifa, who was killed by a Hezbollah-planted explosive device in southern Lebanon, Israeli media report. Seven soldiers were wounded, including the deputy commander of the 36th Division (a colonel), in the same incident on Wednesday.
The IDF identified the soldier killed in Wednesday's Hezbollah IED attack in southern Lebanon as Staff Sgt. (res.) Alexander Filin, 29, of Haifa. The announcement came at 06:22 Jerusalem on Thursday, concluding a sequence of reports that began earlier that morning. Filin was a member of the 36th Division headquarters; the blast also wounded seven troops, including the deputy commander of the division (a colonel). Artillery fire struck terror targets in the area following the incident.
The Zioneer's first report on the incident, at 06:05 Jerusalem, cited initial military statements describing a fatality and multiple wounded but provided no name. A subsequent bulletin at 06:22 Jerusalem named Filin as the fallen soldier, confirming his reserve status and city of residence. By 06:22 Jerusalem, the IDF had formally attributed the explosion to a Hezbollah-planted device, establishing it as the second lethal IED strike against Israeli forces in the area within hours. Earlier context from our coverage noted Filin's father was notified and Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav issued a statement eulogizing him at 07:32 Jerusalem.
The incident occurred during a foot patrol near the village of Tayba in the Litani area, where a battalion-level force of the 36th Division's forward command was operating when the IED detonated. The wounded include a reserve lieutenant colonel from the 556th Transport Regiment in moderate condition, four reservists and a female soldier with light injuries. As The Zioneer has reported previously, Hezbollah-planted ordnance remains a persistent threat to Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon.
The IDF has not disclosed further operational details surrounding the patrol route or the specific type of IED used. No claims of responsibility have been reported beyond the military's determination that the device was enemy-placed.
3 developments
- StrongDefense Minister Katz sends condolences to family of fallen reservist Filin
- DevelopingLebanese media: Multiple operatives killed in the same IDF strike in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF: Deputy division commander, three soldiers wounded by explosive device in southern Lebanon
- StrongLebanese Health Ministry: 15 killed, 70 wounded in IDF strikes on southern Lebanon yesterday
Source and signal
- Internal intake