Israel Matzav

Two more IDF soldiers killed overnight

Two more IDF soldiers - 20-year old Bania Roval (pictured) and 21-year old Bar Rahav HY"D (May God Avenge their blood) - were killed overnight in Operation Protective Edge.

Staff Sergeant Bania Roval, a 20-year-old soldier from Holon, serving in the Paratroopers 101st Battalion, was shot dead by a terrorist in Gaza who emerged from a tunnel shaft and opened fire at soldiers. The terrorist was shot dead in return fire.

"Controlling tunnel shafts doesn't give us full control of the entire tunnel," a senior military source said.

The second soldier, 2nd-Lt. Bar Rahav, 21, from Ramat Yishai, from the Engineering Corps, was killed as a result of the activation of the Trophy missile defense system in a nearby tank. The system successfully blocked an anti-tank missile fired at the vehicle, but the soldier was killed in the process. The IDF is investigating.

The IDF sent more ground troops into Gaza overnight as the operation entered a new phase. Air strikes on Northern Gaza - the location of many rocket launchers - are expected to intensify.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas rockets, IDF, Operation Protective Edge

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:33 AM