News- Middle East: At least six Lebanese soldiers have lost their lives and several others were injured as unexploded ordnance from a previous Israeli strike went off in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese media outlets, citing local sources, reported that the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when a unit of the Lebanese army’s engineering regiment was working to disable and remove the ammunition on the outskirts of the Majdal Zoun region in the Tyre district.

Four of the soldiers killed were reportedly part of the 5th Brigade, while two others belonged to the engineering regiment.

The injured were quickly transferred to nearby hospitals to receive necessary medical care.

The Beirut-based al-Mayadeen television news channel reported that Israeli occupation forces fired bursts of machine gun fire from the Radar military site toward the outskirts of Shebaa shortly after the blast.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made a phone call to Army Commander General Rodolphe Heikal, who briefed him on the details of the tragic incident.

For his part, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute to the fallen soldiers on the social media platform X.

“With great pain, Lebanon mourns the sons of its valiant army who fell as martyrs in the South while fulfilling their national duty,” he wrote.

“All of Lebanon, state and people, bows in homage to their sacrifices and precious blood, which reaffirm that our army is the guarantor of security, the bulwark of sovereignty, and the protector of the nation’s unity and its legitimate institutions,” Salam noted.

Last April, three Lebanese soldiers were killed and five civilians injured in an explosion of munitions being transported in a van belonging to the Lebanese army’s engineering department in Breiké, in the Nabatieh region.

Following significant losses sustained over nearly 14 months of conflict and the failure to meet its objectives in the offensive against Lebanon, Israel was compelled to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah, which took effect on November 27.

Since then, Israeli forces have been launching attacks on Lebanon, including airstrikes, in breach of the ceasefire.

Israel also continues to maintain its occupation of five significant regions in southern Lebanon, namely Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, all situated near the border.

Lebanon has condemned the continued presence of Israeli military forces as a violation of the ceasefire agreement and the established timeline for withdrawal.

Senior officials in Beirut have expressed their commitment to take “all necessary measures” to remove the occupying troops from the nation.

Source: Press TV