A Lebanese soldier was killed and two others wounded on Saturday when an explosion struck their military vehicle in the southern town of Mansouri, near Tyre, according to a Lebanese army statement. The army described the cause as a “suspicious object” and said an investigation was under way to determine its origin.

The incident occurred amid a day of heightened military activity across southern Lebanon. Israeli forces carried out airstrikes, artillery shelling, and controlled detonations in several villages, including Kfartebnit, Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Tayri, and Haddatha, Lebanese state media reported. The Israeli military also said it had targeted a Hezbollah cell in the Tbnit area after what it described as a drone attack on its soldiers, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire. Separately, an Israeli interceptor missile was launched at what the military later called a false target, triggering an explosion over the Marjayoun plain.

The Israeli military attributed the Mansouri explosion to a device planted by Hezbollah, stating that its initial investigation found the explosive was not of Israeli origin. It added that the Lebanese army vehicle had entered a security zone without prior coordination, contrary to established procedures. Hezbollah has not issued a formal statement on the incident, but Iranian state-affiliated media quoted a Hezbollah representative as saying the group would never surrender its weapons. The competing narratives underscore the deep mistrust that continues to test the ceasefire.

The truce, brokered by the United States, took effect in mid-June and was followed by a framework agreement on 26 June that envisages the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese army, beginning with two pilot zones. Talks in Rome this week produced an agreement to finalise the structure of those zones and begin implementation within days, according to a US embassy statement. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is due to meet President Donald Trump in Washington on 21 July, the first such visit since 2009, with the ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal expected to dominate the agenda.

As investigations continue into the Mansouri blast, the day’s events illustrate the precariousness of the calm. Lebanese military sources have not attributed blame, while Israeli officials insist Hezbollah remains an active threat in the area. The ceasefire, though still nominally in place, faces repeated tests from both military action and unresolved political disputes.