The IDF reported Thursday that Warrant Officer (res.) Mordechai Haim Amoyal, 42, from Lod; Sergeant Major (res.) Shmuel Harari, 35, from Safed; Master Sergeant (res.) Shlomo Aviad Nayman, 31, from Mitzpe Yeriho; and Sergeant First Class (res.) Shuvael Ben-Natan, 22, from Rehelim, all from the 2nd "Carmeli" Brigade's 222nd Battalion, fell during combat in southern Lebanon. Sergeant First Class Gai Ben-Haroosh, 23, from Pardes Hanna-Karkur, fell in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon.
The four fell as the forces approached a Shiite village in the western sector of southern Lebanon, which the brigade was preparing to seize and clear of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force. Around 6:50 p.m., a group of terrorists emerged from a concealed tunnel shaft and attacked the force. In the incident, six soldiers were injured, three of them seriously.
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Shmuel Harari, Mordechai Haim Amoyal, Shlomo Aviad Nayman, and Shuvael Ben-Natan, Gai Ben-Haroosh
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
In addition, on Thursday a commander from the 75th Armored Battalion was critically injured in Lebanon by an anti-tank missile; a reservist from the 7155th Paratroopers Battalion was wounded during an encounter with terrorists; and a reservist from the 6226th Reconnaissance Battalion sustained shrapnel injuries in the north. All injured personnel were evacuated by air and ground to hospitals, and their families have been informed. Since the ground operation began on September 30, a total of 22 soldiers have fallen in Lebanon.
Although the sector had been attacked from the air before ground forces entered, the terrorists still managed to find shelter underground. Spotting the soldiers moving on foot through the bushes, they threw several fragmentation grenades, which exploded and caused casualties.
The Israeli forces responded by throwing grenades and firing at the terrorists and their concealed positions. In the hours following the incident, the 146th Division, responsible for the sector, continued operations to close in on the terrorists and ensure they were eliminated. Meanwhile, heavy aerial and artillery fire rained down on the area.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed the battle in which the soldiers fell and emphasized, "They were not caught by surprise. This is combat, and we have the upper hand in these battles. We have casualties, and we are paying a heavy price. However, many Radwan terrorists have surrendered, and we have eliminated more than 1,500 Hezbollah operatives so far. We are systematically and thoroughly moving through all the villages to ensure that we can tell the residents of the north that we have cleared the area. We will continue doing this alongside our efforts to eliminate Hezbollah commanders in Beirut."
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