Five members of one family were injured – two seriously – when they hiked in the Golan and inadvertently entered an old mine field.
The family, from central Israel, was hiking in the north over the weekend and mistakenly entered an old mine field covered in snow. Two children, aged 12 and 11, were seriously injured when a mine exploded; a foot of one of them had to be amputated.
The children said they were playing in the snow together with other people when the sudden explosion occurred. It happened near Merom Golan, in the northern Golan, some ten kilometers west of the Syrian city of Kuneitra.
It is believed that the recent snow covered the signs warning against mine fields.
The IDF spokesman announced, "The mine field was fenced off and signs were placed around it, as required. The IDF is responsible for providing security and enabling the citizens of Israel to walk safely around the country, including along the borders. We remind the public to follow security instructions and not to enter military firing zones, mine fields, or into areas [controlled by] the Palestinian Authority."
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