The operation to recover the remains of Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman from Syria was carried out by non-Israeli Mossad agents, according to defense officials.
The team members operated deep inside Syria, dozens of kilometers from the Israeli border, to retrieve the body, risking their lives.
Defense officials say that the agents, operating on behalf of the Mossad, had a cover story and had been inside Syria for several years.
In the past five months, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, there were breakthroughs in Feldman’s case and an opportunity to recover his remains, the officials say.
The team of Mossad agents went to a graveyard several times, bringing back various findings that were brought to Israel for identification.
Eventually findings matched Feldman’s DNA. The team also found the remains of the tank soldier’s overalls.
Officials say the team operated “under fire” during the mission.
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