A soldier taking part in the IDF Paratroops Corps “War Week”, a week of training maneuvers under simulated battle conditions including minimal sleep resulted in a search for a soldier feared to have been abducted. The incident occurred on Monday night to Tuesday morning, in the Southern Chevron Hills area.

One soldier decided to catch a few minutes of sleep during a break and he apparently fell into a pit, where he slept the entire night until being discovered.

The troops moved out but no one noticed the soldier was missing. Due to the proximity to PA (Palestinian Authority) areas, once his disappearance was detected, commanders operated under the assumption that he might have been abducted, prompting them to summon reinforcements to begin combing the area.

Hundreds of soldiers were activated and fighter aircraft took to the skies, releasing illumination flares to provide visibility. The soldier was eventually discovered, still asleep in the pit, suffering from light frostbite.

The matter is being addressed by appropriate authorities.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)