Landmine explosion at Lebanese border injures 2 IDF soldiers

A landmine exploded on Tuesday afternoon near Shtula, a moshav close to Israel’s border with Lebanon, reportedly triggered after it was run over by an Israel Defense Forces engineering vehicle.

Two IDF soldiers in the vehicle were injured as a result of the explosion and taken to the coastal city of Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya for treatment.

One soldier is in “moderate condition,” while the other is in “light condition,” according to the Jerusalem Post.

he explosion occurred is an area of northern Israel known to be littered with landmines from past wars. Such accidents, however, are rare occurrences.

The IDF stated it is conducting an investigation into the explosion, but made clear it was an accident rather than a terrorist attack.

Israel has worked for decades to clear landmines, but there remains a significant amount of land yet to be cleared. A 2022 report from Mine Action Review stated that, as of 2017, Israel had “41.58 km² of confirmed mined area and a further 48.51km² of suspected mined area,” but “the exact extent of anti-personnel mine contamination in Israel is not known.”