Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun death: 19 year-old IDF soldier killed in a terror attack at the Egyptian border

Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun death. (Source: i24news.tv)

An Egyptian policeman killed three members of the coed Bardelas Battalion. The first of the three soldiers killed by an Egyptian policeman earlier in the day was identified by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday as Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun, 19. Keep reading to know more about Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun death in detail.

Who was Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun?

Sgt. Lia Ben Nun was one of three Israeli soldiers murdered by an Egyptian policeman in border attacks on Saturday morning, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Ben-Nun, a 19-year-old combat soldier in the IDF’s Bardelas Battalion, comes from the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion. She received a posthumous promotion from corporal to sergeant.

She served in the mixed-gender Bardelas Battalion. The Arava Region, which runs from the Dead Sea to Eilat, is protected by the battalion, which trains both male and female combat personnel.

Ben Nun last week posted a video about her experiences as a female soldier to her Tiktok account. She used a collection of pictures to illustrate the highs and lows of her intense training regimen and the friends she had made.

The attacker was identified as an Egyptian policeman by the Israeli army, which added that “an investigation is conducted in full cooperation with the Egyptian army.”

Three IDF soldiers dead:

Early on Saturday afternoon, the IDF said that two of its soldiers had been shot and killed in a security incident on the Israeli-Egyptian border early that morning. A few hours later, during a firefight, the same terrorist also killed a third soldier.

The names of two of the soldiers were given as St.-Sgt. Ohad Dahan and Sgt. Lia Ben-Nun. An early inquiry has shown that Ben-Nun and a male soldier were discovered dead at an IDF guard post just after 6 a.m. by members of their team who had been sent to check on their wellbeing after they failed to answer their radios.

Additional forces were called in after their bodies were found, and a search operation was launched to find the offender, who was thought to have crossed the border into Israel at some time during the night.

The identity of the terrorist as an Egyptian police officer was later confirmed by the IDF. The IDF continued by saying that both it and the Egyptian military were looking into the matter thoroughly.

The IDF verified an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and the terrorist, who was killed in the encounter, shortly after lunchtime on Saturday.

Dahan was shot and killed during the operation, and a second soldier suffered just minor injuries. Shrapnel struck the injured soldier’s hand, but he was later allowed to leave the hospital. Dahan was from Ofakim and was twenty years old. He received a posthumous staff sergeant promotion from the rank of sergeant.

On June 3, 2023, Israeli Defence Forces staff sergeant Ohad Dahan, 20, a combat soldier with the Bardelas Battalion, was fatally shot near the Egyptian border. (Source:  timesofisrael.com)

He was pursuing narcotics traffickers, the Egyptian army later said in a statement, and “during the chase, the security man was involved in an exchange of fire that resulted in the deaths of three Israeli soldiers.”

They left out the details of how the policeman, who was supposed to be pursuing narcotics dealers, wound up in a gunfight with IDF forces.

Egypt and the IDF coordinate their response to shooting:

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) were investigating into how and when the Egyptian attacker entered Israel, how he went unnoticed for several hours, and what the military could have done to stop the three soldiers from dying.

The Egyptian army, on the other hand, said in a statement that a border security officer had pursued suspected narcotics smugglers. It added that it wanted to express its “sincere condolences” to the victims’ families. “During the pursuit, he crossed the security barrier and an exchange of fire began, in which three Israeli security personnel were killed,” it said.

Military officials reported that IDF troops thwarted an effort to smuggle drugs over the border on Saturday morning, hours before the first gunshot incident, seizing contraband with an estimated worth of NIS 1.5 million ($400,000).

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari claimed that the IDF was unable to connect the smuggling attempt, which occurred about 2:30 a.m. and was around 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) north of the military post that was attacked, to the fatal incident that took place there four to five hours later.

The military is looking into whether the shooting that claimed the lives of the two soldiers had anything to do with the attempted drug smuggling that was unsuccessful and during which drugs worth around $400,000 were seized by security forces.

Israeli military armored vehicle travelling along Egypt’s border. (Source: jpost.com)

According to a statement from the Egyptian military, the exchange that happened early on Saturday morning resulted in the deaths of three Israeli security personnel and one Egyptian security personnel. The police officer crossed the border while pursuing drug traffickers, the Egyptian military spokeswoman claimed, which resulted in a gunfight with Israeli forces. Israeli and Egyptian officials are coordinating a probe into the incident, according to Egyptian security sources.

Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, commander of the military’s Southern Command, declared that the IDF would respond to all inquiries. He told reporters at the Egyptian border, “We are in a joint investigation with the Egyptians, and it will be sharp, clear, and we will not leave any question unsolved.”

He claimed that the IDF was looking into any potential ties between the incident and the attempted narcotics shipment. He declared, “We will look into every angle. The incident came after the smuggling, therefore we’ll look into how the two incidents are related.

The Egyptian army was completely cooperating with the probe, according to the IDF. “The investigation is still ongoing and is being handled in full cooperation with the Egyptian army. A very unusual incident that does not represent the relationship and joint action [between the militaries],” according to Hagari.

Both the IDF and Border Police are stepping up security in the region. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief Lt. Gen. Herzl Halevi, and other top defence officials convened a security assessment in light of the circumstances.

Since the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries in 1979, the gunfire and conflicts on the border seem to be among the most dangerous incidents. The area was still being searched by troops for potential new attackers.

Israel-Egypt border issue:

Since the two nations’ 1979 signing of their first peace treaty with an Arab state, the Israel-Egypt border has mainly remained quiet. Israel has been constructing a substantial wall along the border over the past ten years, mostly to keep African immigrants and Islamic terrorists who operate in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula away.

Although efforts to sneak drugs over Israel’s high border happen frequently. Several instances of shooting between IDF forces and smugglers have occurred in recent years. Additionally, the Egyptian army routinely fires in the northern Sinai desert at jihadist organisations and drug traffickers, which occasionally results in unintentional cross-border shooting.

Terrorists operating out of the Sinai region attacked Israel numerous times in 2011 and 2012. In one multi-staged attack in August 2011, five Egyptian troops, six Israeli civilians, an IDF soldier, and a counterterrorism police officer were all killed.

Condolences to the Soldiers

The Egyptian military expressed its condolences to the families of the fallen troops and wished the injured a quick recovery.

In light of the current events, security officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held a situational assessment early on Saturday afternoon with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Gallant said on Twitter: “I’m pained by the death of the three soldiers at the Egyptian border incident, IDF soldiers did their jobs with dedication, but the incident ended with terrible results. My family is with the families in their most difficult hour.”

He further stated that the IDF will conduct a thorough investigation and that he had participated in the situation analysis. He concluded by saying he had faith in the soldiers and their leaders.

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