10 soldiers wounded after RPG explodes at combat engineering training base
Accident occurs during presentation of weapons to soldiers in training; Military Police, base commander launch probes
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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded in an accidental blast at a training base in southern Israel on Wednesday night, the military said.
The incident occurred at the Combat Engineering Corps’ training base north of Eilat, known by its Hebrew acronym Bahalatz.
Three of the soldiers were in moderate condition, while the other seven were lightly hurt, the military said Thursday.
According to an initial IDF probe, the explosion occurred in a classroom during a presentation of explosive weapons used by Israel’s enemies, including bombs and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), to in-training combat engineers.
An RPG that was being presented to the soldiers was launched for reasons still under investigation. The rocket flew out of the classroom, exploding just outside, the probe found.
The explosion caused significant damage to the building and wounded 10 soldiers in the classroom.
Military Police officers went to the scene to collect information for an expected investigation into the incident.
The commander of the base was also carrying out an investigation, the military said.
The Times of Israel Community.