IDF: 9 troops hurt, including 1 seriously, while evacuating wounded man from church hit by Hezbollah
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF says nine soldiers were wounded, one of them seriously, in an anti-tank guided missile attack in Shomera in northern Israel, after arriving to evacuate a civilian wounded in an earlier Hezbollah attack against a church.
Hezbollah fired a missile from Lebanon at the Greek Orthodox Church of Iqrit, moderately wounding a civilian in his 80s.
As troops arrived to evacuate the wounded man, Hezbollah fired additional missiles, wounding nine soldiers.
One was listed in serious condition, while the other eight were listed in good-to-moderate condition.
The IDF says it targeted a Hezbollah site in Lebanon, as well as a building to which the operative who launched the missile at the church fled.
מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו לפני זמן קצר תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בשטח לבנון. בנוסף, תצפיתניות צה"ל זיהו מבנה אליו ברח המחבל ששיגר את טיל הנ"ט לעבר כנסייה במרחב שומרה מוקדם יותר היום, כוחות צה"ל תקפו את המבנה >> pic.twitter.com/DryVpStQf0
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 26, 2023
The IDF says Hezbollah also fired a missile from near a mosque in southern Lebanon’s Yaroun at the Dovev area in northern Israel.
“This is further proof of Hezbollah’s cynical exploitation of Lebanese civilians and holy sites for its terrorist activity,” the IDF says.
Projectiles were also fired at the Yiftah and Mount Dov areas on the border. The IDF says it is shelling the launch sites with artillery.
