The 52nd Battalion commander of the 401st Armored Brigade was killed overnight near the village of Tafnine alongside his three-man tank crew, the IDF said. A suspicious munition — under investigation — struck the tank during operational activity, in what sources assess was likely a Hezbollah drone munition.
Overnight, a Hezbollah drone munition struck an IDF tank near the village of Tafnine in southern Lebanon, killing four soldiers, the IDF confirmed. The incident occurred around 00:20 Jerusalem, according to the military. This marks the most serious breach of the June 15 ceasefire arrangement since its inception, building on Hezbollah's first claimed attack on Israeli forces after the ceasefire on June 15 (as The Zioneer reported at 21:13 Jerusalem that day).
As The Zioneer reported starting Friday at 09:32 Jerusalem, the fallen commander was identified as Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, of the 52nd Battalion (401st Armored Brigade). By 09:57, the IDF had released the names of three additional soldiers — his tank crew — killed alongside him. Between 09:14 and 11:33, the IDF published his full biography, and President Isaac Herzog mourned the fallen at 10:07 (as The Zioneer reported at those times). Initial thread versions (09:57) contained conflicting accounts — one citing a single military source reporting an upgraded Kornet missile, and another reporting a drone munition. The subsequent updates, including this bulletin, consistently attribute the strike to a suspicious munition under investigation, assessed by Israeli sources as likely a Hezbollah drone.
Hezbollah had claimed its first post-ceasefire attack on June 15 using drones and anti-tank missiles, as The Zioneer reported at 21:13 Jerusalem that day. The IDF has since conducted broad retaliatory strikes — striking over 70 Hezbollah sites and eliminating seven operatives from an underground route as of June 14 (The Zioneer, 00:06 Jerusalem), and over 80 targets with dozens of operatives killed by June 19 (12:25 Jerusalem). The military characterized these as a widening response to repeated ceasefire violations.
The IDF said the incident remains under investigation and cannot yet determine with certainty whether the munition was a drone, though Israeli sources assess it was likely a Hezbollah drone. The names of the additional soldiers have been released. Ben Simhon took command on April 20 after his predecessor was severely wounded; he is survived by his wife, a combat officer, and two daughters.
5 developments
- ConfirmedIDF: Five soldiers wounded in second Hezbollah drone strike near Kfar Tebnit overnight
- StrongPresident Herzog: Four soldiers killed in Lebanon combat including 52nd Battalion commander
- DevelopingTwo IDF Soldiers Killed, Four Wounded in Southern Lebanon Incidents
- StrongIDF publishes full biography of fallen 52nd Battalion commander Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon
Source and signal
- Internal intake