Staff Sgt. (res.) Omer Balva, H’yd, 22, was killed by an anti-tank guided missile launched by Hezbollah at Israel on Friday, the IDF stated on Motzei Shabbos.

Three other soldiers were wounded in the attack, one seriously and two moderately.

Balva, a commander in the 9203rd Battalion of the Alexandroni Brigade and a resident of Hertziliya, had been in the US with his family when the Hamas attack took place two weeks ago and he flew back to Israel to join his reserve unit.

Balva grew up in the US and had dual US-Israeli citizenship.

Numerous incidents took place along Israel’s northern border on Friday and Shabbos. On Friday, a terrorist infiltrated Israeli territory and opened fire on a soldier near the yishuv of Margaliot, seriously injuring him.

On Shabbos afternoon, two Thai foreign workers were wounded by shrapnel from a rocket attack near the yishuv of Magraliot. They were treated by MDA paramedics and evacuated to the hospital, one in moderate condition and one in light condition.

IDF forces eliminated four terror squads via drone strikes on Friday and Shabbos and carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah posts in southern Lebanon.

IDF forces evacuated the residents of Kiryat Shmonah on Friday and previously evacuated residents of all yishuvim within five kilometers of the northern border.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)