BREAKING NEWS

IDF, Israel Police discuss theft incidents in southern Israel

Israel Police Deputy Commissioner Alon Asur and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Eyal Zamir discussed recent attempts to steal from IDF bases and training areas in southern Israel on Wednesday after IDF soldiers were surrounded by Bedouins.
The two emphasized the continuation of joint operations in order to deal with the issue and prevent further theft.
The IDF Deputy Commander pointed out the operational behavior of the IDF officers in the complicated incident, during which they tried to prevent the theft before the issue was transferred to Israel Police.
The two agreed that increased operations and activities will take place in the area in order to prevent and respond to any further attempts by suspects in the south.
On Tuesday, a group of IDF soldiers found themselves surrounded by a gang of Bedouins who attempted to steal military equipment from a nearby base. The soldiers stopped and pursued them.
An initial IDF investigation revealed that the soldiers attempted to catch the thieves, but within minutes were surrounded by a group of rioters who came to reinforce and assist the thieves.
The group surrounded the military jeep with several civilian jeeps, and when one of the soldiers felt physically threatened, he fired a bullet into the air.
Alex Winston contributed to this report.