Lebanon army says one soldier killed by ‘Israeli’ strike

• An ‘Israeli’ drone strike on a car and motorcycle in the Nabatiyeh region killed one Lebanese soldier and wounded four others who had just finished their duty.
• ‘Israel’ stated the incident is "under review," maintaining that its operations target Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese Armed Forces, which has officially attempted to remain neutral.

The Lebanese military said on Tuesday that an ‘Israeli’ strike on a car and a motorcycle in southern Lebanon killed one of its soldiers and wounded four others.

‘Israel’ has stepped up strikes and deployed ground troops to its northern neighbour since March 2, when Lebanon was dragged into the wider war in the Middle East after Tehran ally Hezbollah attacked ‘Israel’ with rockets in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

In a statement, the Lebanese army said that "as a result of an Israeli hostile raid" in the Nabatiyeh region, a soldier was injured and "died of his wounds", while four others were wounded.

An official from the military told AFP the soldiers had just finished their duties for the day.

The ‘Israeli’ military said in a statement that it was "aware of the claim that several soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces were injured as a result of an IDF strike".

"The incident is under review," the army said, adding that ‘Israeli’ forces were operating "against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, and not against the Lebanese Armed Forces or Lebanese civilians".

While Lebanon's army has tried to stay out of the war, three Lebanese soldiers were killed by ‘Israeli’ shelling earlier this month during a failed ‘Israeli’ commando operation in eastern Lebanon.