4 soldiers killed, dozens injured in drone attack on army base in Israel

JERUSALEM: Four soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a military base in northern Israel, the Israeli military said in a statement.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday evening that a drone launched by Hezbollah troops from Lebanon hit a military base next to the town of Binyamina on the Carmel Coast between Haifa and Tel Aviv, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The incident is under investigation,” the military said, without giving further details.

Meanwhile, shortly after the attack, Magen David Adom Ambulance Service said in a statement that its paramedics treated 61 people, including three in critical condition, 18 with moderate injuries, 31 with minor injuries and nine for panic.

The IDF said the air raid siren was not activated before the attack. Israeli state news agency Kan TV reported that the drone hit the dining room during mealtime.

It is a rare airstrike on Israel that has caused so many deaths, as Israeli air defense systems normally issue warnings before such attacks.

Israel’s Army Radio reported that an initial investigation found that at least two drones were launched from Lebanon and approached Israel from the Mediterranean. One was intercepted, but the military was unable to locate the other.

About an hour after the attack, the military claimed another drone from Lebanon was intercepted in Haifa Bay in northern Israel.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday evening, saying in a statement that it had fired a squadron of drones at a Golani Brigade training base in Binyamina.