A commander and a sergeant from an IDF Duvdevan commando brigade team were dismissed from their positions following a friendly fire incident in Nablus, an IDF spokesperson announced last week.
According to a report on the N12 news site, the Duvdevan unit was conducting operations to arrest terrorist suspects in the West Bank when they mistakenly identified another IDF commando team as an enemy group and opened fire.
The IDF disclosed that the confusion among the teams stemmed from a navigational error that placed them in overlapping territory, setting them up to unexpectedly cross paths during operations.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
Investigation findings, arrest of terror suspects
The team commander and sergeant involved, however, who acted beyond the rules of engagement, were dismissed. Additionally, the unit’s deputy commander and others are set to receive reprimands from higher command.
“After the incident, which was reported in real time, an immediate investigation was conducted on the ground and through the command channels, until it was presented to the IDF Central Command chief, Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth.” An IDF spokesperson said. “The investigation examined the quality of the planning and execution of the operation, as well as its handling.”
The military also said in its statements that the investigation revealed that at no point were the fighters identified as the enemy “within the line of fire,” and that “no additional attack measures were implemented beyond the fire directed at the area of the building.”
As for the two terrorist suspects targeted in the operation, they were arrested and taken into custody, N12 reported.