BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Six Lebanese soldiers were killed and two others injured on Saturday during a clearance operation in the southern town of Majdal Zoun near Tyre, after unexploded ordnance (UXO) detonated, military sources and local media reported.
The Lebanese Army’s engineering unit was dismantling munitions left over from the recent conflict with Israel when the explosion occurred. An investigation has been launched into the incident, officials said.
President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati offered condolences and praised the soldiers’ dedication to their national duty.
The blast highlights the continuing dangers posed by UXOs in southern Lebanon, despite numerous clearance efforts by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has removed over 90 unexploded devices since the November 2024 ceasefire.
Separately, Israeli forces targeted a vehicle near the town of Ainata in the Bint Jbeil region of southern Lebanon in a drone strike involving five missiles, according to Al-Manar and Al-Mayadeen news networks. 
The attack, which took place between Ainata and Aytaroun, killed one person, reports said. Further details have not been released.
Israel began its military aggression against Lebanon on October 1, 2024, and signed a U.S.-brokered ceasefire two months later on November 27. 
Despite the agreement requiring Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days, Israel has maintained a military presence at five strategic locations and repeatedly violated the ceasefire.