New details: The investigation into the Puma APC disaster in Khan Yunis, which claimed the lives of an officer and six soldiers from the 605th Engineering Battalion, reveals a difficult and complex operational picture.
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Military correspondent Doron Kadosh published the initial findings of the investigation this evening (Wednesday), which indicate that the explosive device was not attached to the Puma armored personnel carrier - but was thrown into it by a terrorist.
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The incident occurred during an attack by Brigade 188 in Khan Yunis. A fighter jet was scrambled to drop a bomb on a target very close to the fighters. Shortly before, an IED and RPG fire were used on another force from the same battalion, resulting in two fighters being seriously and slightly injured.
According to operational safety procedures, when a fighter jet drops a bomb near a force, the fighters are required to enter the armored vehicles to protect themselves from shrapnel or fragments of structures flying as a result of the airstrike.
The seven fighters, in accordance with procedures, entered the Puma armored personnel carrier for a short period of time in preparation for attacking the fighter jet.
The investigation revealed that while the fighters were inside the Puma APC, a terrorist who emerged from a nearby tunnel shaft quickly approached the APC, and within a matter of seconds climbed onto the armored vehicle.
The terrorist threw the explosive device, apparently a 'Schwaz' type, into the APC from above, while the soldiers were inside. The explosive device, despite its small size, caused a fatal explosion in the enclosed space and led to the tragic outcome.
The initial assessment is that the fighters were hit immediately after the bomb exploded, in the first seconds of the incident.
The investigation also determined that there were no additional explosives from the engineering force inside the Puma, except for the fighters' standby ammunition.
The IDF estimates that this is a similar method of operation to the one that was foiled a few days ago, when a terrorist tried to place a similar bomb in the back of a 9th Battalion tank.
