Two Israel Defense Force soldiers were injured slightly Sunday when a young Arab woman wired with explosives blew herself up while walking near them in the southern Lebanon security zone.
A civilian passerby also was hurt.
The soldiers were spared serious injury because they observed army rules requiring them because they observed army rules requiring them to wear flak jackets and maintain a good interval between them as they patrolled the road, army sources said.
The incident occurred near the ruins of Beaufort Castle, once a Crusaders stronghold, just north of Metulla in Israel.
Eyewitnesses said the woman wore a long robe and appeared to be “very young.” As she strolled near the soldiers, “she suddenly blew apart,” one eyewitness said.
A statement issued by a Lebanese terrorist group identified the perpetrator as 19-year-old Fadwa Hassan Ghanem. It also claimed 12 Israeli soldiers had been killed in the blast, despite Israeli statements that there were no fatalities.
The attack was said to be the first instance of suicide with the intent to harm Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Booby-trapped cars and even donkeys have been tried in the past.
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