An Israeli soldier was killed overnight by friendly fire during a military exercise, the IDF spokesperson said on Tuesday.
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"An IDF soldier was killed overnight by IDF fire during a military exercise at an IDF base in southern Israel. The details of the incident are under examination by the commanders and the military police have begun investigating the incident; the family of the soldier has been notified," the spokesperson's statement said.
"The IDF expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family of the soldier and will continue to support them," it added. The soldier, which was training at the Paratroopers Brigade dedicated drill base, was apparently targeted from a distance of about 800 feet after commanders had instructed the troops to simulate a real battle, but apparently without realizing that he would be caught in the crossfire.
These accidents are relatively rare. Earlier in January, an Israeli soldier was killed in a firearm incident at a military base in the central part of the country.
In August, another soldier was killed during a routine training exercise on the Golan Heights. A similar event happened that same month when Staff Sergeant Natan Fitoussi was killed by friendly fire following an identification error.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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