A Paratroopers Brigade officer, Lt. Tal Tzemach, 20, of Kibbutz Huldah, was killed late last night when two Palestinian terrorists infiltrated a military training ground near the Jordan Valley community of Mecholah. They also wounded three soldiers, including two now listed in moderate condition. The attack occurred around 1:30 in the morning, following a hard training exercise while many soldiers were sleeping. Lt. Tzemach and others came out of the tent when they heard the fire and began shooting back. The Jordan Valley Regiment Commander, Col. Yechiel Sofer, together with the commander of the exercise, hurried to the site and killed both terrorists. Two Kalachnikov rifles and 11 clips were found next to their bodies.
The incident came only hours after Col. Sofer submitted his resignation to Chief of Staff Mofaz. He resigned after two of his underlings were relieved of their posts following an investigation into last month\'s serious terrorist incident in nearby Hamra. Mother-and-daughter Miri and Yael Ochana, and St.-Sgt. (res.) Moshe Mekonen were killed in that attack. An investigation found that the soldiers did not handle the situation properly, and that six soldiers and citizens on the scene did not succeed in killing the terrorists. Despite his personal achievement of last night, Sofer said that he would not withdraw his resignation.
The incident came only hours after Col. Sofer submitted his resignation to Chief of Staff Mofaz. He resigned after two of his underlings were relieved of their posts following an investigation into last month\'s serious terrorist incident in nearby Hamra. Mother-and-daughter Miri and Yael Ochana, and St.-Sgt. (res.) Moshe Mekonen were killed in that attack. An investigation found that the soldiers did not handle the situation properly, and that six soldiers and citizens on the scene did not succeed in killing the terrorists. Despite his personal achievement of last night, Sofer said that he would not withdraw his resignation.