The Judea and Samaria District Police have returned an IDF soldier's personal weapon after it was stolen during an attack by Palestinian Arabs near the community of Susya in the southern Hebron Hills last Saturday.
The weapon was located by security forces after it had been abandoned by the attackers and was subsequently transferred to the police.
The soldier, who was wounded in the assault and hospitalized, arrived at the police station after his release from the hospital to provide testimony as part of the ongoing investigation. After investigators completed taking his statement, which is intended to assist in prosecuting the suspects, the police returned his weapon directly to him.
Police said the firearm was first used as evidence during the investigation and underwent forensic examinations after investigators determined that it had allegedly been in the possession of the Palestinian Arab suspects. The forensic testing was conducted to strengthen the evidentiary case against them.
Earlier Thursday, police announced that the Judea Military Court had extended the detention of the four Palestinian Arab suspects in the attack by an additional seven days.
Police noted that the victim's testimony was taken as part of the investigation to advance the legal proceedings and bring the suspects to justice.
The incident occurred while the soldier, who was on weekend leave, was hiking near Susya. According to the investigation, terrorists who were in the area attacked him, seized his personal weapon, and attempted to shoot him with it. The soldier fought back, sustained injuries during the struggle, and ultimately managed to escape the scene.