Two Israeli soldiers were killed on Thursday in northern Israel in a drone attack that emanated from Iraq.
IDF Sgt. Haim Sofer (19) from Ashkelon and Corporal Tal Dror (19) from Jerusalem were both communications soldiers who served in the Golani Brigade 13th Battalion. In addition, two IDF soldiers were wounded in the attack, one severely. Other Israeli reports indicated that as many as 21 IDF soldiers were lightly injured in the attack.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian-backed terrorist militia, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it launched three drones with explosives toward northern Israel. According to the IDF’s initial probe, one of the drones was shot down by the military, however, at least one drone penetrated Israel’s aerial defenses and impacted an IDF base in the northern Golan Heights.
The investigation revealed that siren alerts had been activated in nearby civilian Israeli communities when the hostile drones entered Israeli airspace. However, due to some technical failure, the siren was not activated at the military base and the IDF soldiers did not have sufficient time to seek shelter.
The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that eight IDF soldiers were killed in battles against the Iranian-backed terrorist forces of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences to the families.
“I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the families of our heroes who fell today in Lebanon. May God avenge them. May their memory be a blessing,” Netanyahu said.
“We’re in the heat of a grueling war against Iran’s axis of evil, aimed at destroying us. That will not happen, because we shall stand together, and with God’s help, we shall emerge victorious together.”
Despite the painful losses, the Israeli military is reportedly making progress against Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon. On Friday, the IDF announced it had eliminated more than 250 Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon since launching its limited ground offensive this past week. Other reports suggest that as many as 400 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed in recent days. The IDF added that the number included dozens of senior and mid-level Hezbollah commanders.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized that Hezbollah had received severe blows in recent weeks.
“Hezbollah is receiving very severe blows, one after the other. We eliminated [Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah and we have more surprises in store, some of which have already been carried out and some of which will be carried out,” Gallant said during a visit to an IDF base in northern Israel.
The clashes between Israel and Iranian-backed terror proxies come at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and the Iranian regime, causing concern that the fighting could lead to a full-scale regional war.
On Tuesday, the Islamic Republic of Iran launched an unprecedented missile attack, with some 180 missiles launched against Israel.
While the IDF and the United States succeeded in eliminating most of the hostile missiles, Iranian missiles reportedly caused material damage, and several Israelis were wounded in the attack. While the IDF admitted there was some damage at Israeli airbases, it stressed that the Israeli Air Force remains fully operational.
The Jewish state has vowed to respond strongly to the Iranian aggression. While the Biden administration backs Israel’s right to defend itself, U.S. President Joe Biden stressed that the Israeli response should be “proportional” and expressed Washington’s opposition to an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.
