Four Israeli soldiers have been killed, including a tank battalion commander, and several others were wounded in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah valiantly repels Israeli attempts to advance into Ali Al-Taher and Kfar Tibnit area in Nabatieh region.
Israeli occupation army announced that a tank battalion commander and three other soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon overnight.
The slain officer was identified as the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, according to Israeli media, citing occupation army.
“During the incident shortly after midnight, a suspected drone or anti-tank missile struck the battalion commander’s tank in the southern Lebanon village of Kfar Tebnit,” the occupation military said.
Meanwhile, Maariv Hebrew newspaper described the attack as a “catastrophe”, revealing that Hezbollah targeted the tank of the 52nd Battalion’s commander, killed all four tank crew members including the commander.
Few hours later, five Israeli soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, as an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah struck forces of the Commando Brigade in Kfar Tebnit, according to the occupation army.
“A reservist officer was seriously wounded, three reservist soldiers were moderately hurt, and an NCO was lightly injured as a result of the drone explosion,” The Times of Israeli cited a statement by the Israeli occupation military.
مواجهات عنيفة خلال محاولة جديدة لجيش الاحتلال التقدم نحو تلة علي الطاهر انطلاقا من معبر كفرتبنيت.
— Khalil Nasrallah (@khalilnasrallah) June 18, 2026
مشهد بثه ناشطون يبين، وفق اشارتهم، استهداف دبابة بصاروخ موجه.
يشار الى أن جيش الاحتلال زج الطيران الحربي في المواجهة، وينفذ قصفا مدفعيا، وصف بالعنيف، يطال النبطية الفوقا وكفرجوز… pic.twitter.com/8N11rtOCLD
Hezbollah’s “Karbala-inspired Epics”
For its part, Hezbollah Military Media affirmed in a statement that the Kafr Tibnit-Ali Al-Taher region “will remain an impregnable stronghold against enemy incursions where the mujahideen stand resolute, forging Karbala-inspired epics in defense of their land and their people.”
In another statement, the first one dedicated to elaborate on the resistance operations on Friday, Hezbollah Military Media announced that: “As part of the Ashura operations, Islamic Resistance fighters monitored an Israeli force composed of an armored platoon and an infantry platoon attempting to infiltrate the northern sector of Ali Al-Taher hill. The unit was reportedly drawn into a prepared engagement zone, where it came under coordinated fire.”
According to the first statement, three Merkava tanks were struck with guided missiles and destroyed, with the vehicles set ablaze. The engagement then escalated as fighters continued to target the advancing force with intensive rocket fire and artillery shells.
Clashes are reported to be ongoing at the time of this statement was released before dawn on Friday.
The first statement was followed by a second, in which Hezbollah Military Media said: “Following a deadly ambush carried out by Islamic Resistance fighters against an Israeli army unit attempting to circumvent and infiltrate toward the northern flank of Ali Al-Taher hill via an unmarked route, a second Israeli force reportedly moved in under heavy smoke cover to evacuate casualties.”
The attempt coincided with the firing of dozens of flare bombs over the area to facilitate retrieval operations, the second statement read, adding: “In response, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the advancing unit with a concentrated salvo of rockets and mortar shells, reportedly achieving direct and confirmed hits.”
The video in the post below shows flare bombs in the area of Kfar Remman in Nabatieh region.
فيديو | قنابل مضيئة فوق اطراف كفررمان جنوب لبنان pic.twitter.com/0yLyw31Asy
— قناة المنار (@TVManar1) June 18, 2026
Dozens of citizens were martyred and injured, with displacement being renewed in the Nabtieh region in the Israeli airstrikes and shelling of Nabatieh region during the failed attempts to advance into Kfar Tibnit and Ali Al-Taher.
Source: Al-Manar English Website