Oketz canine killed in Bint Jbeil clash; handler kills Hezbollah gunman

The IDF reported that a dog from the Oketz canine unit was killed by a Hezbollah operative in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil yesterday. The dog's handler, a female combat soldier, returned fire and killed the gunman. No Israeli soldiers were injured.

The IDF this morning (Wednesday, 07:18 Jerusalem) added that the dog killed in yesterday's firefight in Bint Jbeil was from the Oketz canine unit, and that its handler—a female combat soldier—returned fire and killed the Hezbollah gunman. The clash occurred as troops from the 679th Armored Brigade searched the same building where a reservist was severely wounded last Thursday. The military stressed no soldiers were injured.

The Zioneer first reported the elimination of a Hezbollah operative in the building at 07:06 Jerusalem, with initial versions noting the dog's death. A subsequent report at 07:13 Jerusalem confirmed the operative was killed but did not mention the canine. The background: last Thursday, a reservist from the 679th Brigade was severely wounded in the same building by a Hezbollah operative who then escaped, prompting continued searches.

The Zioneer reported on Friday (July 3) that the reservist was wounded in a close-quarters encounter, and the gunman remained at large. The Bint Jbeil area has seen repeated clashes; the IDF confirmed on June 28 that a soldier was killed in a separate ambush, and on June 26 that four soldiers were wounded by a grenade in Beit Yahoun. Hezbollah mortars also struck a UNIFIL post on June 4, killing a UN soldier.

The Hezbollah operative who wounded the reservist last week has not been located. The IDF has not released the handler's name or the dog's name. It remains unclear whether the gunman killed yesterday was connected to the earlier incident.

7 developments

1. 2 hours ago · 07:24 · 8 JulLatest

   679th Brigade troops identified the operative while searching the specific building.

2. 07:20 · 8 Jul

   Hezbollah operative killed in close-quarters clash with IDF troops.

3. 07:19 · 8 Jul

   Oketz unit dog killed; handler eliminated the Hezbollah gunman.

• Confirmed22:42 · 30 JunIDF eliminates Hezbollah operative near troops in Al-Manzala area
• Confirmed19:40 · 28 JunIDF soldier killed in clash with Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon
• Strong12:08 · 26 JunIDF confirms 4 soldiers wounded by Hezbollah grenade in Beit Yahoun; assailant killed
• Developing23:08 · 25 JunIDF troops engage Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon, kill two operatives

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