IDF Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo (19) Killed by Hezbollah Drone
Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo, 19, from Herzliya, was killed Thursday by a Hezbollah explosive drone in southern Lebanon. The attack, involving a difficult-to-intercept fiber-optic drone, also left another Golani soldier moderately wounded.
The IDF has cleared for publication the name of a soldier killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon on Thursday morning.
Sgt. Liem Ben Hamo, 19, from Herzliya, was a fighter in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. He fell during a targeted drone attack in the village of Qantara.
Details of the Incident
According to military correspondent Doron Kadosh, the incident occurred at approximately 10:20 AM when Hezbollah launched a strike using explosive UAVs. One of the drones was neutralized. Tragically, the second drone scored a direct hit on a force from the 13th Battalion operating in an open area.
The strike resulted in the death of Sgt. Ben Hamo and left another soldier moderately wounded. An Israeli Air Force helicopter evacuated the casualties to a hospital for further treatment.
This drone strike followed an earlier Hezbollah suicide drone strike on an artillery battery located near Shomera on the Lebanese border, in which twelve soldiers were wounded, 2 moderately and 10 lightly.
Troops from the Haredi "Chashmonaim" Brigade, who were stationed nearby on operational duty, immediately rushed to the scene to assist in the medical treatment and evacuation efforts.
The IDF is currently investigating whether the suicide drone was guided via fiber-optic technology. This advanced method allows the operator to maintain a physical link to the UAV, making it immune to traditional electronic jamming and interception methods.
Military officials noted that if confirmed, this would mark the first recorded instance of a fiber-optic drone crossing the border from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
The direct hit on the artillery battery resulted in an armored vehicle catching fire. The heat from the initial explosion reportedly caused secondary detonations of ammunition shells stored in the immediate vicinity.