Lieutenant-Colonel Muli Cohen has been dismissed as Commander of the 188th Armored Brigade's 74th Battalion following an incident in which his signal operator was left behind in a Palestinian village near Ramallah during routine activity, Ynet learned.
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Palestinians escort lost soldier out of village
Last Wednesday, an Armored Corps force entered the village of Budrus near Ramallah for routine activity. The troops left the site shortly thereafter, only without the battalion commander's signal operator. A military jeep collected him several minutes later. IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz decided to suspend the commander after the incident.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said that the decision to suspend Lt.-Col. Cohen was made while taking into account both the professional and normative aspects of his conduct.
Military sources estimated Sunday that Cohen would not be returning to his capacity as battalion commander. "The combatant left behind is not just another soldier but the battalion commander's signal operator, i.e. the direct subordinate of the battalion's most senior commander," one source said.
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