Sgt. Ya'ir Turgeman, 20, a resident of Kiryat Arba, was killed yesterday afternoon by Arab sniper fire towards his IDF base in the northern Shomron. Contrary to earlier reports, the incident was not a drive-by shooting, but rather a carefully-aimed attack at a soldiers' post in the base near Mevo Dotan. The victim was flown by helicopter to Tel HaShomer Hospital near Tel Aviv, where he died of his wounds.
The IDF is investigating the incident, but the basic facts are that shortly before 4 PM Tuesday afternoon, the soldier was sitting in a tent near the entrance to the base when he was hit. It is assumed that the shots were fired from one of the hills near the base, apparently in PA-controlled territory. IDF forces combed the area immediately afterwards.
Sgt. Turgeman is survived by his parents, as well as three sisters and a brother. He will be buried this afternoon in Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem.
Residents of nearby San-Nur - one of the four northern Shomron communities slated to be destroyed in Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral withdrawal plan - said in response to the attack, "The Arabs think that the uprooting plan will be implemented, and are therefore trying to chase us out faster. It's precisely this talk of uprooting and surrender to Arab terror that gives them strength and encouragement. The direct responsibility for this attack lies on the Prime Minister's shoulders."
In other security-related incidents yesterday and today: a terrorist fired at an Israeli car in the Mt. Hevron area; no one was hurt.... Two soldiers were lightly wounded by an anti-tank rocket fired at an army bulldozer in southern Gaza.... Soldiers detected a terrorist, dressed in an IDF uniform, placing a bomb in the Rafiach area of southern Gaza prompting them to open fire. The terrorist was eliminated... A six-kilogram explosive device was discovered by soldiers in the Hevron Hills area. The bomb was connected to a gas cylinder. It was neutralized without incident... A Kassam rocket was launched into the Negev area during the predawn hours, landing near Kibbutz Netiv Ha'Asarah. There were no injuries.
The IDF is investigating the incident, but the basic facts are that shortly before 4 PM Tuesday afternoon, the soldier was sitting in a tent near the entrance to the base when he was hit. It is assumed that the shots were fired from one of the hills near the base, apparently in PA-controlled territory. IDF forces combed the area immediately afterwards.
Sgt. Turgeman is survived by his parents, as well as three sisters and a brother. He will be buried this afternoon in Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem.
Residents of nearby San-Nur - one of the four northern Shomron communities slated to be destroyed in Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral withdrawal plan - said in response to the attack, "The Arabs think that the uprooting plan will be implemented, and are therefore trying to chase us out faster. It's precisely this talk of uprooting and surrender to Arab terror that gives them strength and encouragement. The direct responsibility for this attack lies on the Prime Minister's shoulders."
In other security-related incidents yesterday and today: a terrorist fired at an Israeli car in the Mt. Hevron area; no one was hurt.... Two soldiers were lightly wounded by an anti-tank rocket fired at an army bulldozer in southern Gaza.... Soldiers detected a terrorist, dressed in an IDF uniform, placing a bomb in the Rafiach area of southern Gaza prompting them to open fire. The terrorist was eliminated... A six-kilogram explosive device was discovered by soldiers in the Hevron Hills area. The bomb was connected to a gas cylinder. It was neutralized without incident... A Kassam rocket was launched into the Negev area during the predawn hours, landing near Kibbutz Netiv Ha'Asarah. There were no injuries.