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Sep. 23, 2004
3 soldiers killed as terrorists infiltrate IDF post in Morag
Margot Dudkevitch
One officer and two soldiers were killed and a fourth moderately-to-seriously wounded when Palestinian terrorists infiltrated an IDF post on the southern side of Morag, a community in south Gaza Strip, early Thursday morning.
The fallen soldiers have been identified as Capt. Tal Bardugo, 22, of Jerusalem, St.-Sgt. Israel Lutati, 20, of Neveh Dekalim and St.-Sgt. Nir Sami, 21, of Jerusalem.
Israel Lutati of Neveh Dekalim will be buried at 3:30 p. m. in the Gush Katif cemetery. Nir Sami and Tal Bardugo will be laid to rest at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem at 6 p. m. and 8 p. m. respectively.
IDF soldiers of the Givati Brigade killed the three Palestinian terrorists.
The three terrorists apparently reached the Morag hothouses at night and hid there until dawn. At around 6:00 a. m., two of the terrorists infiltrated the post through its southern entrance. Though a lookout post is located at the entrance, soldiers did not spot the infiltrators.
The two terrorists entered the post and split up. One headed toward the position’s situation room and shot and killed two soldiers sitting inside the room. Hearing the shooting, the deputy company commander stepped out of his room and was shot and killed.
After killing the three soldiers, the terrorists left the position through the same gate they entered. Other soldiers in the post set out in pursuit and managed to kill them. Officials said only a minute passed from the moment the terrorists entered the post till they were killed by the troops. The two were armed with Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition clips and grenades.
The third terrorist, who was hiding outside the post, planted two bombs in the hothouses area. Officials believe the terrorists planned to escape the post, run toward the hothouses and when the soldiers follow them, detonate the bombs.
The third terrorist was killed in a gun battle several hours after the infiltration began.
During the exchange of fire, a reporter was lightly wounded in the legs when he exited the post following a media briefing, which was held inside.
The reporter, Yitzik Saban from Yediot Ahronot daily newspaper, was evacuated by an ambulance that arrived at the scene and then taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
Three terror organizations claimed responsibility for the attack: the Islamic Jihad, the Abu Rish Fatah faction and Gaza’s Popular Resistance Committee.
Brig.-Gen Shmuel Zakai, Gaza Divisional Commander, said the terrorists had attempted to carry out what he described as a "multi-step attack", launching a number of different attacks at the same site.
"In Gaza, we are fighting an unprecedented battle with terrorists constantly attempting to launch attacks. Security forces have succeeded in preventing many of them; but there are also unfortunate incidents such as today, when we lose the best of soldiers. That is the nature of war."
Zakai advised against drawing conclusions before the investigation of the incident is completed. "Only once the probe is finished then the necessary conclusions regarding how the terrorists managed to enter the post can be clear," Zakai said.
The residents of Morag, one of three isolated communities in the Gaza Strip, were asked to remain inside their homes during the early morning hours. Once the gunbattle was over, residents were allowed to step out and children went off to schools.
Morag has been under continued terror threats in the past four years of violence.
Numerous mortar shells had been fired at the community, sometimes causing damages to homes as well as hothouses. Palestinians gunmen have carried out many shooting attacks at the community and the nearby IDF post, located next to the hothouses.
Last month, Palestinians reported that soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian near Morag. Security officials said intelligence reports were received that a bomb had been placed near the community’s hothouses and soldiers who arrived at the scene shot and hit a Palestinian crawling toward the site.
In July, Border Police sappers blew up a 35-kilogram bomb placed underground in Morag.
In March, two Hamas terrorists wearing IDF uniforms, armed with Kalashnikov rifles and grenades and carrying a 20-kilo bomb were killed by soldiers after they were spotted crawling toward Morag.
Meanwhile, IDF forces pulled out of the outskirts of nearby Khan Younis, where soldiers entered during the night to demolish homes used by terrorists as cover to perpetrate mortar, Kassam and anti-tank rocket fire on the nearby Neveh Dekalim community, located in the Gush Katif settlement bloc.
During the operation an IAF helicopter shot at two Palestinians attempting at placing a bomb.
Palestinians reported that 10 people were wounded and six houses were damaged in the incursion. Military officials said that in the past week alone, 30 mortars and anti-tank rockets were fired at the community.
In Memoriam
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