Sixth Soldier Down: Israeli Enemy Admits Mortar Kill in South Lebanon

The Israeli enemy has confirmed the death of First Sergeant Negev Dagan, 20, from the Dekel settlement in the northern Negev, during fighting in southern Lebanon. Israeli media, citing an army radio correspondent, reported that Dagan was killed last night in the Litani River area by a mortar shell fired by Hezbollah. Dagan is the sixth Israeli soldier killed on the northern front since the so-called ceasefire began, according to Israeli media. One outlet also clarified that the incident was not caused by an airstrike  underscoring that it was a direct ground hit by Hezbollah fire. Escalating Attacks Against Occupation Forces This latest death comes as the Islamic Resistance announced a series of intensified operations yesterday. The Resistance detonated an explosive device targeting an Israeli army force spotted infiltrating toward the water pump north of the town of Taybeh. Immediately after the blast, the Resistance followed up with artillery fire, inflicting confirmed casualties and forcing the force to retreat under heavy fire and smoke. Helicopters were seen evacuating the wounded. Separately, the Resistance announced it had targeted another Israeli army force near the newly established Bayada site with rocket barrages and artillery shelling. When a Merkava tank attempted to support the besieged force, it was struck directly by a guided missile. ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Situation on Lebanese Border The Israeli newspaper Maariv acknowledged earlier that “the current situation on the Lebanese border is extremely dangerous,” noting that Hezbollah has intensified its operations against the Israeli army in southern Lebanon. The paper added that the party has simultaneously escalated its psychological warfare by documenting operations and publishing footage of the attacks. Maariv also pointed out that Hezbollah is reverting to tactics similar to those it used during the 1990s against occupation forces in the so-called security zone. The newspaper stressed that recent operations have sharply increased pressure on both the border area and the Israeli towns facing Lebanon.