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In a significant military maneuver, the Israel Defense Forces launched a lethal ground offensive in Lebanon on Friday night, linked to the 1986 disappearance of captured fighter pilot Ron Arad.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli forces, supported by helicopters, crossed into Lebanon from the Syrian frontier, targeting a burial site in the village of Nabi Chit, nestled in the Beqaa Valley.
The operation triggered a firefight with Hezbollah, resulting in 16 fatalities and 35 injuries, as reported. Details on whether the casualties were among fighters, civilians, or both were not specified.
Israeli officials confirmed that the mission did not yield any artifacts or information related to Arad.
The IDF emphasized its unwavering dedication to retrieving all missing and deceased personnel, asserting, “We will persistently work around the clock, driven by a profound commitment to bringing all our fallen and missing sons back to Israel,” according to the report.
But Arad’s widow called for an end to the operation.
“We understand that our words until now have not been understood by the decision-makers and therefore it’s important for us to clarify: Our desire to know what happened to Ron stops as soon as there is risk to IDF soldiers,” Tami Arad wrote on Facebook, The Times of Israel reported.
“We thank the IDF soldiers and security forces and appreciate those who worked for Ron, and we ask that our request to sanctify life be honored,” she concluded.
Arad was on a bombing raid in southern Lebanon targeting the Palestinian Liberation Army on Oct. 16, 1986 when one of the explosives malfunctioned and damaged the IAF F-4 Phantom navigator, forcing him and another pilot to eject from the cockpit.
Pilot Yishai Aviram escaped, but Arad was taken into custody by Lebanese Shi’ite group Amal with the Israeli government losing track of his whereabouts in 1988, The Jerusalem Post reported.