11:14 IL: According to an Israel Radio Reshet Bet report, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey survived an assassination attempt.

The report states that two crew members were injured when at least two missiles were fired at the four star general’s C-17 plane on the runway in an airport in Afghanistan. Dempsey was flown out of the area from Bagram Military Base in another plane.

According to the official statement released to the media by US military spokesperson Colonel Dave Lapan, at no time was there a danger to the US commander of forces or members of his staff, who were asleep when the missiles hit the plane.

Walla News adds the plane was not hit directly, but shrapnel from a missile did damage a door. NATO spokesperson Thomas Collins confirms the general was not on board, adding “they were fortunate that they managed to hit something”.

Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan on Monday, 2 Elul 5772 for high-level briefings regarding the conflict in Afghanistan. One of the main topics of discussion was the stepped-up attacks against NATO forces from ‘within’, referring to members of the Afghanistan’s armed forces.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)