M16 snatched from soldier in base infiltration

An IDF soldier was moderately wounded by two unidentified assailants who infiltrated the Tzrifin Base in central Israel on Saturday afternoon. The two attacked the soldier and were able to snatch his M-16 assault rifle before fleeing the scene.

The soldier, who was on guard duty at the time, was evacuated to the nearby Assaf Harofeh Medical Center for treatment.

The Military Police and the Shin Bet have launched an investigation into the incident. Initial estimates indicate the motive was criminal rather than terror-related.

A manhunt for the perpetrators is underway, with troops spread out throughout the complex of bases Tzrifin is comprised of, as well as the surrounding area. A police helicopter has also been brought in to aid the search efforts.

The investigation's initial findings suggest that the assailants used an unreported break in the fence surrounding the base to crawl onto the premises. They lay in wait for the soldier, who was on patrol, and jumped him when he was in range.

Military officials stressed the incident was an exceptionally grave occurrence. "This raises a lot of questions," they said. "Like how is it that they were able to infiltrate the base? Why wasn't it reported as it was happening, so that we could have had a chance to thwart it? Why were the suspects able to get away?

"We're going to have to conduct a very thorough investigation here to make sure similar or worse incidents don't happen in the future."

Officers stationed in Tzrifin admitted that on the surface of things, it appears that the soldier's conduct was not in line with what was expected of him. "He was armed with a weapon intended exactly for these kinds of situations – and he ought to have used it," one officer said.

The army has recently obtained information warning that criminal gangs were liable to attack soldiers serving in Tzrifin, base commanders were briefed accordingly. Entry to the base is limited on weekends and holidays, and thus the number of guards on duty is correspondingly lower. However there are CCTV cameras positioned in several key locations, and the surveillance is meant to help monitor abnormal incidents.

At present time it remains unclear whether the cameras were able to capture and document this morning's incident.