JERUSALEM (VINnews) — BDE: Sergeant Liran Ben Zion, 19, from Holon, was killed overnight Sunday by anti-tank missile fire in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced today. Ben Zion served as a soldier in Battalion 9 of the 401st Armored Brigade (“Iron Tracks”). In addition, an armored corps officer was seriously wounded in the incident.

An anti-tank missile was fired at a tank from the battalion during the night, resulting in Ben Zion’s death and the severe injury of the officer. Two additional anti-tank missiles were later fired, causing no further casualties. IDF forces are continuing to scan the area in order to locate and eliminate the terrorist cell responsible for the attack.

Earlier, the IDF reported that three soldiers were seriously wounded and three others moderately wounded in three separate incidents that occurred the previous day. In the first incident, two soldiers were seriously injured by anti-tank fire directed at forces in southern Lebanon in the afternoon. Later, another soldier was seriously wounded, and two more were moderately injured when a drone crashed near an IDF unit. Additionally, one more soldier was moderately injured in a military accident in southern Lebanon. All the soldiers were evacuated for medical treatment, and their families were notified.

The forces operating in Lebanon—who have reached as far as the Litani River, sometimes 8–10 kilometers from the border—are operating under heavy artillery fire, indirect fire, and anti-tank missile attacks. Combat conditions are intense, with soldiers receiving real-time alerts over communication systems about incoming mortar fire. In many cases, there is almost no time to take cover, sometimes only 0–5 seconds. Those who can enter armored vehicles do so, while others in the open try to find shelter behind rocks or walls.

Despite statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he had instructed to “further expand the existing security zone,” the military insists this is not a fixed security zone, as forces remain mobile. The objective of the maneuver is to create a security buffer deeper inside the territory, away from the border, in order to reduce attacks on northern Israeli communities. While the IDF is pushing Hezbollah back and avoiding direct close combat, the organization continues to launch hundreds of rockets daily, along with drones and anti-tank missiles.

Since the beginning of the ground maneuver, five additional soldiers have been killed in incidents involving anti-tank fire, combat engagements, and rocket fire: Master Sgt. Maher Khattar, Sgt. Or Damari, Sgt. Uri Greenberg, Cpl. Aviad Wolenski, and Cpl. Moshe Katz. More than 30 other soldiers have been wounded during the fighting in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz visited wounded soldiers at Beilinson Hospital. He met fighters from elite units including Yahalom, the Paratroopers Brigade, and the Golani Reconnaissance Unit, thanking them for their bravery and expressing hope for their recovery and return to combat. During the visit, he spoke with a wounded Golani soldier who told him: “We must not stop, that’s what matters.” Katz responded: “We will not stop. We are operating in Iran, in Lebanon, and across all fronts. You and your comrades are carrying Israel’s security on your shoulders. Thanks to you, we will make the right decisions.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also commented, saying that Iran’s ambassador, whom Lebanon had reportedly ordered to expel but who remains in the country, “drank his coffee this morning in Beirut and is mocking the host ‘state.’” He added that Lebanon is “a virtual state effectively occupied by Iran.”

He further stated: “Since March 2, when Hezbollah launched its attack in violation of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, 5,000 missiles, rockets, and drones have been fired at Israel from Lebanese territory. A large portion of them were launched from south of the Litani River, an area the Lebanese army declared in early January to be under its ‘operational control.’ Lebanon will not regain its sovereignty until a decision is made in Beirut to confront the Iranian occupation and its proxy Hezbollah.”