Tel Aviv [Israel], March 31 (ANI): Four IDF soldiers died while fighting in Southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Tuesday, Jerusalem Post reported.

The military shared the names of three of the soldiers, Captain Noam Madmoni, Staff Sergeant Ben Cohen, and Staff Sergeant Maxsim Entis, while the fourth soldier's name is still under the wraps, as per Jerusalem Post.

During the incident, two additional soldiers were wounded, one in serious condition and the other with moderate wounds. The families of all affected soldiers have been notified, the military said.

Nine IDF soldiers have been killed fighting in Lebanon since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion on February 28, as per Jerusalem Post.

Since the begining of the war, 22 civilians have died by rocket and missile fire from Lebanon and Iran. On Thursday, 43-year-old Uri Peretz was killed in Nahariya by a direct hit after Hezbollah launched a wave of rockets at northern Israel, injuring twenty-five additional people, as per Jerusalem Post.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (local time) said that the ongoing US-Israel military operation against Iran amid the West Asia conflict is 'beyond the halfway point', with the current focus of the coalition being to secure or remove Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile.

In an interview with Newsmax, Netanyahu expressed confidence in the progress of the joint military campaign, emphasising that significant steps have been taken to dismantle Iran's military and nuclear capabilities.

'We're beyond the halfway point in terms of mission success,' the Israeli PM said, citing major gains in degrading Iran's military, nuclear, and industrial infrastructure.

According to the Israeli Prime Minister, US and Israeli forces have already struck critical components of Iran's war-making potential, including missile systems, weapons factories, and personnel linked to its nuclear programme.

'We've already degraded their missile capabilities, destroyed factories, and eliminated key nuclear scientists,' Netanyahu told Newsmax, noting that these efforts have set Iran's ambitions 'back significantly'. (ANI)