At approximately 20:30 on Sunday evening (December 15), shots were fired at a vehicle along the Israeli-Lebanese Border, near Rosh Hanikra. The IDF has confirmed that the sniper is a member of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and that his gunfire killed an IDF soldier, Master Sergeant (res.) Shlomi Cohen, 31, from Afula. Cohen was driving his private vehicle, in uniform and en route to the Rosh HaNikra base.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, IDF spokesman: “The IDF has protested this outrageous breach of Israel’s sovereignty with UNIFIL and has heightened its state of preparedness along the border. We will not tolerate aggression against the State of Israel, and maintain the right to exercise self defense against perpetrators of attacks against Israel and its civilians.”


Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on shooting of an IDF soldier (15 Dec 2013):

The Secretary-General deplores the shooting this evening of an Israel Defense Forces soldier by a Lebanese Armed Forces soldier, in the vicinity of the Blue Line at Naqoura, and calls for calm. The Israel Defense Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces are cooperating with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to ascertain the facts. The Secretary-General reminds the Lebanese Armed Forces of their responsibilities under Security Council resolution 1701 and strongly urges both sides to exercise restraint.