The family of IDF Captain Alon Sacgiu, who was killed on Thursday overnight during a counter-terror operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, is struggling to say goodbye. "He was the smartest, always the first to help, volunteer and assist everyone. He had many plans. He wanted to study and travel. He was a hero and excelled at everything," said his father, Erwin.
"He came out of Gaza unscathed after five months. He told us the operation in Jenin was routine. An initial investigation reveals that he and another officer were heroes; they jumped from their vehicle to aid the wounded in the medical vehicle that was hit by an explosive device. How many more such incidents will occur in our country?" wondered his mother, Doria.
"He and his partner Sharon were supposed to celebrate five years together in Eilat in two days. Now, that won't happen, and we are left with a great void," she added.
Captain Sacgiu was killed when a second explosive device detonated, likely triggered remotely, which also injured many of his soldiers. One of them is hospitalized in serious condition. Since this morning, hundreds of people have come to comfort the grieving family and Alon's friends in Hadera.
"Last night, there was a knock on the door, and they said, 'This is the IDF,'" the father recounted. "I thought it was Alon. He was an outstanding student, a sniper in the Duvdevan Unit. He went to officer training, was the sniper officer of the Haruv Battalion, and was about to transfer to another unit that we can't discuss right now."
The family also released a poignant video from January when Alon returned from three months of continuous fighting in Gaza and received a strong hug from his 8-year-old brother, Ariel.
As noted, the officer, who was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain, served as the commander of the sniper unit in the Haruv Reconnaissance Battalion of the Kfir Brigade and was killed by a powerful explosive device planted deep in the ground at the camp's entrance.
Captain Alon Sacgiu and his 8.5-year-old brother
(Video: Courtesy of the family)
An initial investigation into the incident suggests forces entered Jenin and its surroundings last night as part of an operation to arrest wanted individuals and locate weapons, as part of the IDF's operations in the refugee camps and West Bank in recent months.
A double combat engineering force, which included a bulldozer and an armored D9 bulldozer, cleared the route for one of the Haruv Battalion’s forces moving from the north of the refugee camp, with their scoops on the ground to uncover hidden explosives. Two of the explosives, however, buried at a significant depth of at least one and a half meters, weren’t detected and or neutralized by the force.
As a result, a Namer APC passed over the first explosive, which detonated, with the soldiers in the vehicle reporting injuries following the incident. Their fellow troops hurried toward them with a vehicle to help treat and evacuate them, at which stage there was another explosion, likely remotely triggered by terrorists who had eyes on the scene ahead of time.
According to IDF estimates, the second explosive was also buried at least one and a half meters deep. The second explosion killed Sacgiu’s death and injured other soldiers.
IDF forces quickly treated and evacuated all the injured while continuing the operation with the remaining hundreds of soldiers participating. Findings at the scene indicated different methods for activating the explosives were used, both wired and wireless.
The IDF is investigating the circumstances of the incident and examining how the rescue force dismounted their vehicle, since there’s an established procedure in such situations, which includes finding a safe area to do so in order to prevent risks from hidden mines and explosives.