IDF ground troops pushed deeper into Lebanon on Monday, entering Bint Jbail, Hizbullah's terror capital, amid heavy fighting that left two soldiers dead and at least 20 others wounded.
According to IDF commanders in the field, close to 40 Hizbullah gunmen were also killed in clashes that erupted as troops from the Golani and Paratroopers brigades took up positions in homes and surrounded the town's marketplace.
Two IAF pilots were also killed on Monday when their Apache Longbow attack helicopter crashed north of Safed. The names of the two IAF pilots killed in the crash were released late Monday: Col. Tzvi Loft, 42, from Kibbutz Hogla and Lt. Tom Farkash, 23, from Caesarea. The IDF said it was unclear what had caused the crash but did not rule out the possibility that the gunship had been shot down by Hizbullah anti-aircraft fire.
Col. Tzvi Loft, 42, of Hogla Colonel Loft had served in the military for two and a half decades, after enlisting at age 18.
Loft, who served in an array of positions in the air force, was due to complete his career service in a year.
He is survived by his wife, Orna, and three daughters.
Lt. Tom Farkash, 23, of Caesarea
The Canadian-born Farkash, who was killed in the air force chopper crash in northern Israel Monday, served as a helicopter gunship pilot.
His parents, who moved to Canada when they were young, returned to Israel 11 years ago and settled in Caesarea. Farkash’s father, Doron, also served in the IAF as a Skyhawk pilot, and today works as a captain for El Al.
Doron received the news of his son’s death in Toronto, where he was working. Farkash is survived by his parents, Anat and Doron, and two siblings — Amit, 17, and Ori, 11.
In Bint Jbail, St.-Sgt. Kobi Smileg, 20, of Rehovot, was killed when a large bomb exploded under his Merkava 4 tank, which flipped over as a result. A battalion commander was wounded in the attack. A few hours later, 21-year-old Lt. Lotan Slavin from Kibbutz Hazeva was killed when his tank was hit — this time by an anti-tank missile.
St.-Sgt. Koby Smileg, 20, of Rehovot
Smileg was killed Monday morning in Lebanon when the tank he was in was hit by a Hizbullah anti-tank missile.
A battalion commander in Smileg’s tank was wounded in the same attack. The tank had rushed forward to retrieve soldiers who had been wounded in the battle.
He is survived by his parents and a sister.
Sec.-Lt. Lotan Slavin, 21, of Hatzeva
The tank commander, killed Monday morning in Lebanon, had recently completed his officer’s training course with honors.
Slavin, who was known for his modesty, had wanted to serve in an elite combat unit, but due to a health problem he was enlisted in the infantry.
He is survived by his parents and three brothers.
Five Golani soldiers were wounded when they were struck by friendly fire from an aircraft hovering over the town.
More than 80 Katyusha rockets were fired at northern Israel during the day.
Meanwhile Monday night, Defense Minister Amir Peretz expanded the areas of the North that fell under the terms of an emergency situation order that he issued last week, allowing the IDF to close workplaces and give orders to the public.
Near the border, gunfire and explosions could be heard coming from southern Lebanon through the day, and large plumes of gray smoke rose over the area. Hizbullah gunmen fired mortars into northern Israel and anti-tank missiles at IDF forces, the army said.
Senior IDF officers told The Jerusalem Post that 100 to 200 Hizbullah fighters were believed to be in Bint Jbail, home to 20,000 Shi'ites who, the military said, had mostly fled north. One IDF commander whose men were fighting in the town said Hizbullah appeared to be determined to hold on to the town.
The IDF, the commander said, was not surprised by the fierce Hizbullah resistance. The organization's fighting tactics, he said, were familiar from years of combat during Israel's 18-year presence in southern Lebanon, which ended in 2000. "We know this enemy very well," an officer said from his command post just south of the town.
OC Operations Directorate Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot said soldiers fighting in the town had discovered Iranian involvement in the fighting. He said that the operation was proving to be effective and that the troops were succeeding in destroying rocket launchers and in drawing terrorists out of their hiding places and killing them.
The IDF, Eizenkot said, did not plan to reoccupy Lebanon. "We are going inside, taking over the area, conquering it for a defined period and then, after completing the operation, we move on to conquer another place," he said, adding that Syrian weapons were being used by Hizbullah in Bint Jbail.
"The fighting is not easy but we are operating with our full determination," he said.
Touring an army induction base in the center of the country, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz said there was still concern Hizbullah rockets could strike deep into Israel, hitting Tel Aviv. The IDF said that during the past 24 hours its planes had hit more than 270 targets across Lebanon, including 21 missile launchers, more than 50 Hizbullah buildings, and communication lines.
The army said it had captured two Hizbullah gunmen, the first it had taken into custody during the fighting. "When the enemy surrenders, we take them prisoner. The two prisoners are located in Israel and will be held here with the aim of interrogating them," said Brig.-Gen. Alon Friedman, deputy commander of the Northern Command.
