Lt. Zohar Halamish, 21, the Israeli officer killed in a clash with Hezbollah gunmen this week in southern Lebanon, was buried Wednesday at his home in Kibbutz Ma’agan Michael, on the coastal plain.
Two other soldiers were injured in the fire fight Tuesday: Lt Yisrael Tsur of Ma’aleh Adumim, seriously wounded in the neck, and Sgt. Ohad Geri, 21, of Kibbutz Eilon, lightly wounded in the hand.
Israel Defense Force sources said that the Hezbollah gunmen had fought well in a professional manner. The guerrillas carried out a well-planned operation, indicating an improvement in their training, probably under Iranian professional soldiers.
The IDF is concerned about the steady improvement in the training and operation of the well-armed, Iranian-backed Shi’ite Hezbollah organization.
The gunmen had set a professional ambush on the basis of sound intelligence and continued to use the element of surprise even after the armed clash began.
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