An IDF soldier was attacked and his weapon was stolen by two suspects late Wednesday night during a solo navigation exercise near Shfar'am in northern Israel.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
At approximately 3 a.m. Thursday morning, the soldier noticed a suspicious vehicle with two figures in it. The vehicle approached from behind him, following as he walked along a dirt path.
Coming to a halt near the soldier, the driver asked if he needed a ride, but the soldier continued moving, after which the suspects approached him from behind on foot.
Catching up to him, the two suspects tried to seize his weapon. The soldier attempted to fend them off for five minutes. During the fight, the soldier threw his magazine into the bushes at the side of the road.
After finally managing to steal his weapon, the suspects fled the scene with their vehicle. The soldier, who was lightly wounded in the scuffle, called his commanders, who came to his aid, notified the police and began searching the area.
The Military Police, Israel Police, Shin Bet security agency and the soldier's immediate commanders were investigating the incident.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi on Thursday said the incident crossed a red line.
"Torat Halehima" (Military Tactics), a religious pro-IDF organization, said: "A commando soldier was performing a solo navigation and his weapon was stolen from him. He had no ability to respond. It seems our soldiers are really left on their own, handcuffed in the face of weapons thieves … The issue isn't specific, it is systematic and deep-rooted. Soldiers must be allowed to defend themselves, under the protection of orders. Otherwise, they will not be able to protect the people of Israel."
