IDF soldier killed, three others hurt, in South Lebanon

August 23, 2006

By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent

An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed and three others were wounded Wednesday when a mine exploded in southern Lebanon, close to the border with Israel.

One of the wounded soldiers, a company commander, was in moderate-to-serious condition; a battalion commander sustained moderate wounds and another solider was lightly injured.

The incident apparently occurred when the tank in which the three were traveling ran over an old IDF mine, planted before the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

According to an initial investigation, the Givati brigade troops force arrived in the area following a navigational mistake following an ambush. An armored vehicle evacuated the wounded from the area. They were then transported to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.

Also Wednesday, three Lebanese soldiers were killed as they tried to clear unexploded IDF shells in southern Lebanon, a senior Lebanese security official said.

They were the first deaths suffered by the Lebanese army since it began deploying in the south on August 17, the official said.