4 Israeli soldiers killed, more than 60 people injured in Hezbollah drone strike

Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Four Israeli soldiers were killed and more than 60 people were injured Sunday in a Hezbollah drone attack on an Israeli army base, authorities said.

The drone was launched from Lebanon and hit the base near Binyamin in northern Israel on Sunday night, according to the Israel Defense Forces, which said in a statement that seven other soldiers were also injured.

Israel's emergency services Magen David Adom said it was notified of the strike at about 7:15 p.m. local time, and dispatched multiple services and dozens of personnel to the scene, where a total of 61 people were found injured. It did not mention the slain soldiers.

It said three of injured were in serious condition, 18 were in moderate condition, 31 were mildly injured and nine were suffering from anxiety following the strike.

MDA has declared it "a mass casualty event."

Hezbollah-aligned news organization Al Manar reported that the militant group has claimed responsibility for the strike.

The IDF said the incident is under investigation.

Israel has been at war with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza for more than a year, during which the Middle Eastern country has also been trading blows with another Iran-backed militia, Hezbollah, over the Lebanese border.

The cross-border attacks have resulted in tens of thousands of northern Israelis being evacuated from their homes.

The Israel-Hezbollah fighting has intensified since late last month, when Israel altered its war objectives to include the return of northern Israeli citizens.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health , more than 2,300 people have been killed and nearly 10,700 have been wounded in the year of fighting. Most of the casualties occurred after since Sept. 23.