Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 injured Tuesday when an artillery shell exploded near a group of reserve infantrymen during a routine exercise, the Israel Defense Force spokesman announced.
Three of the wounded soldiers were reported to have sustained serious injuries.
The unit was taking part in a combined infantry, tank and artillery exercise at a training
The soldiers were storming a target when the shell landed among them and exploded, killing five soldiers instantly and wounding 10 others. All were reservists except for one regular service soldier who apparently was present in an advisory and training capacity.
A preliminary investigation indicated that “human error,” rather than faulty equipment, was to blame for the tragic accident, the head of the IDF Ground Forces Command reported at a hastily convened news conference late Tuesday.
The investigation also found the artillery battery was not to blame for the accident. The orders of when and where to open fire are routinely given by the infantry unit requesting artillery support, army officers said.
Tuesday’s incident was the second major IDF training accident of the year. On April 22, two IDF helicopters collided, killing all seven pilots and crew members aboard.
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