Israel Soldier Killed by 'Hostile Aircraft' on Lebanon Border

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following artillery fire by the Israeli army on hills near the town of Marwahin
Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following artillery fire by the Israeli army on hills near the town of Marwahin
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Israel Soldier Killed by 'Hostile Aircraft' on Lebanon Border

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following artillery fire by the Israeli army on hills near the town of Marwahin
Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following artillery fire by the Israeli army on hills near the town of Marwahin

The Israeli army said Saturday that a soldier was killed and two others wounded on the Lebanese border, with a spokesperson confirming the casualties were caused by a "hostile aircraft".

"Sergeant Major (reservist) Yehezkel Azaria, from Petah Tikva... fell during an operational activity in the Margaliot area, aged 53 at the time of his death," the army said in a statement.

A military spokesperson confirmed to AFP that two soldiers were also wounded in the attack, which was the result of an incursion by an unspecified "hostile aircraft".

The army had reported the incursion earlier in the day, saying that air defenses "intercepted a hostile aircraft that crossed from Lebanon into Israel".

"An additional hostile aircraft that crossed from Lebanon was identified and fell in Margaliot... In response, Israeli artillery is striking in Lebanon," it added.

Azaria is the seventh Israeli soldier to be killed on Lebanese border since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Since October 8, the day after the war started, the frontier has seen deadly exchanges of fire, mainly between the Israeli army and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which says it is acting in support of Hamas.

On Friday, residents said the Israeli army dropped leaflets on parts of southern Lebanon for the first time since hostilities flared, warning them not to help Hezbollah.



Türkiye's AJet to Start Flights to Syria's Damascus

A United Nations airliner is pictured on the tarmac of the closed Damascus International Airport on December 11, 2024, three days after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)
A United Nations airliner is pictured on the tarmac of the closed Damascus International Airport on December 11, 2024, three days after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)
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Türkiye's AJet to Start Flights to Syria's Damascus

A United Nations airliner is pictured on the tarmac of the closed Damascus International Airport on December 11, 2024, three days after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)
A United Nations airliner is pictured on the tarmac of the closed Damascus International Airport on December 11, 2024, three days after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)

Turkish Airlines subsidiary AJet said it will start flights to Damascus International from Istanbul and Ankara airports in mid-June.

AJet said in a statement that flights from Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport will begin from June 16.

Flights will initially take place four times per week before operating daily from July, it added, Reuters reported.

Flights to Damascus from the Turkish capital Ankara will start from June 17, three-times per week, the carrier also said.

Turkish Airlines resumed flights to Damascus in January after a 13-year suspension.

Türkiye, a close ally of the new government in Damascus, has pledged to support the country's reconstruction.

Ankara has already helped with the improvement and maintenance of Syria's airports, the Turkish transport minister has said.