Seconds From Disaster
BREAKING: Elite Duvdevan Soldiers Mistaken for Terrorists, Narrowly Escape Suicide Drone Strike in Nablus
A navigation error during a raid in the Nablus Casbah led to a near-fatal "blue-on-blue" incident. Five soldiers were pinned down by massive friendly fire and targeted by a loitering munition before the strike was aborted at the last moment. IDF: "A severe incident that is being investigated."
A severe friendly fire incident that nearly resulted in the deaths of five soldiers from the elite Duvdevan unit occurred early Sunday morning in the Casbah of Nablus (Shechem). According to initial details from the IDF probe, a series of errors led to Israeli forces opening massive fire on their comrades and nearly launching a "suicide drone" strike against them. The disaster was averted only seconds before impact.
The operation involved two separate Duvdevan teams operating simultaneously in the dense urban environment of the Casbah. Each team was assigned a specific sector to apprehend wanted suspects.
The investigation reveals that one of the teams made a critical navigation error, accidentally crossing the sector boundaries into the area assigned to the second team.
A drone operating in support of the second team spotted the five soldiers on a rooftop. Unaware of the navigation error, the operators identified the figures as five armed terrorists.
Moments after the identification, the second team unleashed a barrage of heavy fire toward the "hostiles" on the roof. The five soldiers, realizing they were under attack by their own forces, threw themselves flat on the rooftop to find cover.
According to harrowing testimonies given during the debriefing, the soldiers described bullets whistling past their ears, missing them by inches. "I thought we were all going to die," the team commander testified.
One report indicates that the pinned-down soldiers screamed over the radio network that they were taking fire, but due to circumstances still under investigation, the message was not immediately relayed or understood by the firing force.
The incident nearly escalated from a firefight to a mass casualty event. Believing they had a squad of terrorists pinned down on the roof, the firing force prepared to deploy a "suicide drone" (loitering munition) to eliminate the threat.
In a stroke of luck that saved the lives of the five soldiers, the drone strike was aborted at the very last moment. Commanders on the ground raised a sudden suspicion that the figures might be friendly forces, halting the launch just in time.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed the details, stating:
"During operational activity to arrest wanted suspects in the Nablus Casbah, a severe incident occurred which is being investigated across all chains of command to draw necessary lessons. It is emphasized that there were no injuries in the incident."
The findings of the initial probe are set to be presented to the GOC Central Command this evening. Decisions regarding disciplinary actions or operational changes will be made following the conclusion of the investigation.