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Milo and an officer accompanying him had exited the vehicle only moments earlier, narrowly avoiding the strike.
By United with Israel Staff
A major disaster was narrowly averted in southern Lebanon several weeks ago, according to details cleared for publication Wednesday.
The IDF revealed that Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo was the target of a Hezbollah explosive-drone attack during an operational visit to the combat zone, in what could have become one of the most significant attacks on a senior Israeli commander during the war.
According to the military, Milo was conducting a field tour among forces operating in southern Lebanon and meeting with commanders and troops when an explosive drone was launched toward the area where he was present.
According to reports, the drone directly struck the vehicle used by the Northern Command chief. Milo and an officer accompanying him had exited the vehicle only moments earlier, narrowly avoiding the strike. No injuries were reported.
The IDF confirmed the incident in a statement, saying: “During one of the operational tours conducted by Northern Command commander Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo among forces operating in the combat zone in Lebanon, an explosive drone was launched toward the location where he was present. No damage was caused, and there were no casualties.”
Military officials stressed that the incident occurred several weeks ago and is only now being made public.
The attempted strike on Milo led the IDF to review and modify travel procedures for senior officers and military convoys operating in the area.
The attack highlights a growing challenge facing Israeli forces in Lebanon: Hezbollah’s expanding use of FPV, or first-person view, attack drones.
Unlike conventional drones that rely on radio communications, many of the systems now being deployed by Hezbollah are guided through fiber-optic cables, making them largely immune to traditional electronic jamming and other countermeasures.
Operated through specialized goggles that provide a real-time view from the drone, the weapons can fly at low altitude, evade detection, and strike targets with considerable precision. Israeli officials have increasingly warned that the technology is reshaping the battlefield and reducing the effectiveness of some existing defensive systems.
In recent weeks, Hezbollah’s drone campaign has become one of the deadliest threats facing troops operating in southern Lebanon, contributing to multiple casualties and forcing units to adopt improvised defensive measures while the military works to develop broader solutions.
While the attack failed, the implications were significant. As head of Northern Command, Milo oversees Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah and plays a central role in directing the campaign in Lebanon.
Had the strike succeeded, it would have dealt Israel a major operational and symbolic blow while handing Hezbollah one of its most significant achievements of the war.
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