An unusual incident occurred Saturday morning in eastern Gush Etzion, when a reserve soldier, who owns a farm near the community of Pnei Kedem, identified a powered paraglider entering the airspace above one of the nearby communities.
Suspecting a possible airborne terrorist infiltration, the soldier opened fire with his personal weapon at the aircraft. No injuries or damage were reported, and the paraglider left the area.
A preliminary investigation found that the paraglider had taken off from the Jordan Valley after coordinating the flight in advance with military authorities, but deviated from its approved route during flight.
As a result of the deviation, the pilot left the designated airspace and entered the area of responsibility of another brigade in the Judea and Samaria Division, where he was identified as a hostile element.
The IDF Spokesperson said: “Earlier today, a reserve soldier identified a powered paraglider entering the airspace of an Israeli community in eastern Gush Etzion. The soldier fired toward the paraglider, without causing damage or injuries. The paraglider moved away. After examination, it was found that the aircraft had taken off from the Jordan Valley with prior coordination but deviated from its approved airspace. The incident is under investigation."