An officer assigned to the paratroop corps was assaulted and injured after leaving Eitan base on motzei shabbos. According to a Kol HaYehudi report, an Arab vehicle forced his car off the road after which they beat him until he required hospitalization for his injuries.

According to the exclusive report, the officer was traveling on Route 358 in the direction of Lahav Junction at about 21:00. The officer reports that he detected ongoing activity on the road which he realized were people involved in smuggling PA (Palestinian Authority) residents into Israel. He decided to follow the suspicious vehicle.

The officer realized the danger element in what was taking place and he phoned police to report what he observed. At Lahav Junction the Arabs drove the officer into a ditch at which time a number of the Arabs beat him and left him. The officer is hospitalized with bruises and injuries from the beating. The vehicle was badly damaged.

A senior security official in the Lachish district succeeded in keeping the report out of the mainstream media but a spokesman for police confirmed an investigation is taking place but at this time, no arrests have been made.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)