The newspaper Yediot Ahronot brings the story of Rambo, the Belgian Shepherd who was wounded during the operation to locate Ashraf Na'alwa, the terrorist who carried out the murder attack in the Barkan industrial zone, in which the terrorist was also killed.
In the testimony of one of the Yamam fighters, Maj. Gen. A. describes how, after intelligence information was gathered about the structure in which Na'alwa was located, forces surrounded the area and Rambo was sent to perform searches. A short time later, shots were heard from the building. At the same time the fighters realized the terrorist was in the building they also realized the dog was in danger.
"After we heard the shooting we realized the terrorist was barricaded in one of the rooms in the house and he was armed," says Major A. "We started shooting towards the house, and suddenly I saw Rambo leave and walk toward me. I let out a sigh of relief and immediately began to pull Rambo back, noting a gunshot wound to his neck and gunshots on his body. Accompanied by a paramedic of the unit I evacuated him to the veterinary hospital in Beit Dagan. I was very happy that he was alive, but my thoughts were with the fighters I left a moment before who entered the house where the armed terrorist was hiding."
Rambo was taken for an operation where it was discovered that the bullet that hit him was shot from the same weapon used in the Barkan attack in which Ziv Hajbi and Kim Yekhezkel were murdered. General A says "thanks to Rambo, the terrorist was located and saved the lives of fighters who could have entered the house and been hit by the terrorist."
The report tells of a previous incident in which Rambo was injured, in an operation to locate the terrorist who carried out the stabbing attack and wounded the mall guard in Ma'aleh Adumim.
First Sergeant Y., who was his operator at the time, relates, "A few minutes passed without hearing him and we started searching the building in the same the way we would look for a soldier with whom we'd lost contact. After about a half-hour of searching, he was found in the courtyard of the building seriously wounded with a deep cut in his stomach and chest and a broken leg. He was conscious and even wagged his tail. We immediately evacuated him for medical treatment, connected to fluids and on a stretcher."
After the operation, Rambo underwent difficult surgery in which plates were inserted into his leg and his chest was operated on. "I was told at the hospital that even if he lived, he wouldn't be able to return to being a combat soldier in the unit," says First Sergeant Y., "but Rambo underwent rehabilitation that lasted a year and included physical therapy and training, he did the unbelievable and returned to operational activity."