IDF tank comes under missile fire in northern Gaza

Palestinian terrorists fire guided anti-tank missile at Merkava Mk 4 which was equipped with new active-protection system known as Trophy.

By YAAKOV KATZ
IDF soldiers on tank near Gaza border 311 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
IDF soldiers on tank near Gaza border 311 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
Violence continued on Sunday to flare up along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip as an IDF tank came under missile fire in northern Gaza.
Palestinian terrorists fired a guided anti-tank missile at the Merkava Mk 4 which was equipped with the IDF’s new active-protection system known as Trophy.
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The system detected the missile launch but did not launch countermeasures since the anti-tank missile was off target and did not pose a threat to the tank. The Trophy then transferred the coordinates of the terrorists who had fired the missile to the tank crew which immediately returned fire, wounding at least one Palestinian.
Sunday’s incident was the second time that the Trophy worked effectively since it was deployed with Battalion 9 of the 401st Armored Brigade along the Gaza border several months ago.
On Saturday night, IDF tanks opened fire at two Palestinians who were moving suspiciously in an area that is off limits to Palestinians near the border. Medical officials in Gaza said that two known terrorists were killed.
The violence on Sunday came a day after close to 50 mortar shells rained down on Israeli communities in the western Negev in the largest single attack carried out by Hamas since Operation Cast Lead over two years ago.