The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Friday that two Israeli soldiers were killed, and 24 others were wounded in a drone attack launched by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq early Thursday morning.
The soldiers killed in the attack were identified as Sgt. Daniel Aviv Haim Sofer, 19, a signals officer cadet in the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion from Ashkelon, and Cpl. Tal Dror, 19, an IT specialist also with the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion from Jerusalem.
An IDF investigation revealed that two explosive-laden drones were launched from Iraq in the attack. Israeli air defenses managed to shoot down one of the drones, but the second drone struck an army base in the northern Golan Heights just minutes later.
#صورة آثار المسيرة التي أطلقت أمس من العراق وتم اعتراضها بنجاح في إسرائيل. نواصل اعتراض والتصدي للتهديدات المختلفة والمنطلقة من جبهات مختلفة pic.twitter.com/D0wFYnntZK
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 4, 2024
Sirens had been activated in several Golan communities when the first drone entered Israeli airspace. However, according to the IDF probe, the second drone was not detected in time, leading to a failure in activating alerts at the base. As a result, soldiers at the base did not have enough time to seek shelter before the drone impacted.
The IDF continues to investigate why the sirens did not sound in time.
In addition to the two soldiers killed, 24 others were wounded. Among the injured, two were seriously hurt, one was moderately wounded, and 21 suffered light injuries.
The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it had launched drones at three targets in northern Israel. This incident marks the first time the Iraqi group has caused significant casualties in Israel.
In a separate development, the IDF reported that overnight, the Israeli Air Force shot down another drone that entered Israeli airspace in the Beit She’an Valley. The drone was said to have flown in from “the east,” a term the IDF has previously used to describe attacks from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
The same coalition of pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq has claimed responsibility for numerous drone attacks on Israel during the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and fighting in northern Israel. Most of these drones have either failed to penetrate Israeli airspace, been intercepted by air defenses, or landed in open areas without causing damage.
Last week, a drone launched from Iraq struck the Eilat port, causing damage and lightly wounding two people.
