Soldier suspected of stealing guns from naval commando base

A soldier has been detained on suspicion that he stole three weapons from naval commandos at his base in northern Israel.

The three assault rifles were stolen from the Atlit Naval Base, home to the Shayetet 13 commando unit, shortly after midnight between Monday and Tuesday, the IDF says.

The military says that a joint investigation by the Military Police and Israel Police was launched, during which a soldier from the base was detained.

At the end of the investigation, the findings will be handed over to the Military Advocate General for review and charges, the IDF says.

“The IDF views any incident of theft of weapons with great severity and is determined to prevent such incidents in cooperation with the Israel Police,” the military adds.

The theft of guns from IDF bases has long been an issue for the military. Guns and other weapons are stolen from bases both by soldiers serving on them and by residents of surrounding communities.