Seven soldiers were injured on Wednesday after their vehicle drove over a land mine in the Jordan Valley.
The soldiers, from the 417th Jordan Valley Brigade, were near the Christian baptismal site of Qasr el Yahud on their way to do routine maintenance on a fence encircling an old minefield, when an M-25 anti-tank mine believed to have been displaced from a demarcated field by the elements exploded under their vehicle.
The explosion caused extensive damage to the rear of the vehicle, and the soldiers suffered relatively minor injuries.
The mine was among those laid decades ago by the IDF to hinder Jordanian incursions into the Israeli-controlled territory.
The military quickly deployed helicopters and massive troops to the area, believing the injuries to be far more serious than they were. The rescue operation proved lengthy as it was suspected that more mines may have been displaced as well.
The soldiers were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem for treatment.
GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Numa appointed his command's head engineering officer, Col. Max Nudelman, to lead the investigation into the incident.
