IDF suspends drills after soldier shot dead in overnight training accident in south

The military suspended exercises after an Israel Defense Forces soldier was shot dead in an apparent training accident in southern Israel before dawn on Tuesday, the military said.

According to the IDF’s initial probe, the soldier was hit by gunfire during a live fire training exercise at the Paratroopers Brigade training base, near the southern town of Shomria.

He was later named as Cpl. Or Israelov, 19, from the coastal city of Bat Yam. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.

A soldier who was part of the suppressing fire force in the drill opened fire and fatally hit Israelov, who was marking the boundaries of the assault force, from a distance of about 250 meters, according to the initial probe.

The probe found that Israelov had been carrying a cone that lights up brightly in order to mark the physical boundaries of the drill as the assault force moves. The flashlight device looks different from the targets of the drill, in an attempt to avoid any confusion.

It was not immediately clear what led to the soldier opening fire and killing his comrade.

The head of the IDF’s Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, ordered a halt to all training exercises until all units reviewed the military’s safety procedures.

The initial investigation was being led by Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, the commander of the 98th Paratroopers Division.

The military said that Yadai and the head of the IDF’s Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox appointed Col. Ivri Elbaz, the commander of the 12th “Negev” reserve brigade, to lead a panel of experts that would also probe the incident.

Separately, a Military Police probe was opened that was set to submit its findings to the Military General Advocate Corps for evaluation.