The IDF is investigating an eyewitness account that a soldier was kidnapped near Israel Air Force Base 27, located near Ben Gurion Airport. In response to the report, central Israel was brought to a standstill for several hours by police who set up makeshift roadblocks on all of the main roads around the airport and leading into the West Bank. The IDF also beefed up roadblocks along the Green Line and inspected all cars crossing into the West Bank.Heavy traffic jams were reported on Route 1 between Tel Aviv and Yerushalayim, as well as Route 443, which crosses the West Bank and links Modi’in to Yerushalayim. Heavy traffic jams were also reported on Route 6 which borders the West Bank.
The IDF immediately initiated an emergency procedure roll call throughout all active units, including reservists. By the evening, a majority of soldiers were accounted for.
The eyewitness account was provided by a female soldier who was getting off a bus near the base. She told her commanders that she saw two civilians forcefully push a soldier into a car and then flee the scene.
The IDF said it was reviewing the reliability of the soldier’s testimony, while police scrambled helicopters to join ground units trying to prevent the alleged kidnappers from fleeing the region.
The army stressed that apart from the soldier’s testimony, there was no indication that a kidnapping had taken place.
The Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported that a previously unknown group calling itself the “Al-Quds Army” claimed responsibility for the reported capture in a statement sent to it.
“A group of our resistance fighters captured an Israeli soldier near Ben Gurion Airport and withdrew with the soldier without incident . we will provide details about the captured soldier later,” the statement quoted on Ma’an’s Web site said.
{JPost/Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
