BEIRUT

A Lebanese soldier was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Monday, marking the first military fatality since Israel escalated its attacks on the country last week.

A military statement said the soldier was killed when a drone hit a motorcycle at the al-Omara-Wazzani checkpoint.

Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 960 people and injuring over 2,770 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several Hezbollah leaders have been killed in the assault, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Mohammad Sio