Ali Elshafee

Four IDF soldiers were killed and two others were wounded in a clash with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military announces. Three of the slain soldiers are named as: Cpt. Noam Madmoni, 22, from Sderot Staff Sgt. Ben Cohen, 21, from Lehavim Staff Sgt. Maxsim Entis, 21, from Bat Yam All served with the Nahal Brigade's Reconnaissance Unit. The name of the fourth soldier is set to be released later, the military says. In addition, one soldier was seriously wounded, and a reservist was moderately hurt in the incident. According to an IDF probe of the incident, during operations in the western sector of southern Lebanon at around 6:30 p.m. yesterday, troops of the Nahal Reconnaissance Unit spotted a cell of Hezbollah gunmen. The soldiers exchanged fire with the Hezbollah operatives from a close range, hitting several of them, the military finds. While evacuating the wounded soldiers from the gun battle, Hezbollah operatives fired an anti-tank missile at the troops, which did not cause any further injuries, according to the probe. The IDF says it returned fire, with tank shelling and airstrikes, against the Hezbollah operatives in the area.