Israeli youth on a walk put northern town on lockdown

Four youth walking in the area touched the border fence, causing the IDF to send large numbers of soldiers to the area due to a security alert.

An Israeli soldier walks near the area where the Israeli army is excavating part of a cliff to create an additional barrier along its border with Lebanon, near the community of Shlomi, 2016 (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
An Israeli soldier walks near the area where the Israeli army is excavating part of a cliff to create an additional barrier along its border with Lebanon, near the community of Shlomi, 2016
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
Young Israelis who were walking near the border fence between Lebanon and Israel touched the border fence on Monday, triggering a security alert that placed the northern town of Shlomi on lockdown.
Four youth walking in the area touched the border fence and then walked along the road near the border before returning to Shlomi. A large number of IDF soldiers were called to the scene due to an alert caused by the contact with the fence. They searched the area until they found the youth and realized that there was no security incident.
"The behavior of the youth was irresponsible and could have led to their injury, and that's beyond the diverse aspects of calling up the entire sector," said a spokesperson for Shlomi. "The Police and IDF will exhaust procedures against the youth. We ask parents to speak with their children about the topic and to demonstrate the severity and significance of such action."
An IDF spokesperson stated that suspicious activity was identified along the border fence on Monday evening. Residents of Shlomi were asked to remain in their homes when the security alert was announced until the searches were finished.