Lebanese soldier killed by Israeli airstrike during evacuation mission
Army soldiers are deployed after gunfire erupted in Beirut, Lebanon October 14, 2021. (Reuters/Aziz Taher)
A Lebanese soldier was killed, and another was wounded in an Israeli airstrike while conducting an evacuation and rescue operation in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Army reported.
The mission, coordinated with the Lebanese Red Cross, was taking place in the village of Taybeh, close to the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Israeli airstrike hits rescue convoy
According to the Lebanese Army’s statement, the soldiers were participating in a joint operation with the Lebanese Red Cross to evacuate the wounded from Taybeh, a border village frequently caught in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Lebanese Red Cross says an Israeli strike wounded four of its paramedics and a Lebanese army soldier as they were evacuating wounded people from the south.
It says the convoy near the village of Taybeh, which was accompanied by Lebanese troops, was targeted Thursday despite coordinating its movements with U.N. peacekeepers.
The convoy was reportedly hit by an Israeli airstrike, despite prior coordination with U.N. peacekeepers stationed on the border.
Red Cross volunteers injured
The Lebanese Red Cross confirmed that four of its volunteers were injured in the attack.
The organization emphasized that it had coordinated the movement of the convoy with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), but the convoy was still targeted.
Tensions along border
Israel has frequently conducted airstrikes in southern Lebanon, claiming they target Hezbollah positions. However, Lebanese officials have condemned these attacks, citing civilian casualties and incidents like the one in Taybeh.
Hezbollah, a militant group with significant influence in southern Lebanon, has been engaged in ongoing hostilities with Israel.
The Israeli military has not yet commented on the latest airstrike, which has escalated tensions in the already volatile region.
