From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
IDF probe finds tank shelling caused blast that led to deaths of 6 combat engineers
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
According to the IDF’s initial probe of the deadly blast in Bureij, which led to the deaths of six combat engineers, the early explosion of a tunnel system intended for demolition was caused by tank shelling.
Combat engineers had been preparing the tunnel for demolition, rigging the underground passages with explosives.
Half an hour before the detonation was supposed to be carried out, a tank stationed next to the detonating cord fired a shell at a nearby building after identifying suspicious movement.
According to the probe, the detonating cord was somehow activated as a result of the blast from the tank shelling, and led to the premature massive explosion of the tunnel system while the combat engineers were still working on preparing it for demolition.
The Times of Israel Community.