2 IDF soldiers killed in Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon

Two IDF soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon early this morning, the military announces.

One of the slain troops is named as Sgt. First Class Maher Khatar, 38, a heavy machinery operator in the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division’s combat engineering unit, from Majdal Shams.

The name of the second soldier is to be released later, the army says.

The incident took place near an army post in southern Lebanon, just across from the Israeli border community of Manara.

According to a preliminary IDF probe, the incident began when a tank got stuck amid operations in the area. The IDF sent a Puma armored personnel carrier and two D9 armored bulldozers in an attempt to extract it.

One of the D9 bulldozers was struck by a projectile, possibly an anti-tank missile or a mortar, causing a blaze that killed the two troops, according to the IDF’s probe. One officer was also lightly injured in the incident.