Ammunition, Explosives Stolen from Israeli Base as Soldiers Holiday

Explosives and ammunition was stolen from an emergency military armory at an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) combat engineers base in northern Israel.

Soldiers from the 601st Battalion, stationed at an outpost in the Golan Heights, on Monday discovered the disappearance of emergency weapons and ammunition from a military warehouse during a routine stock count. They immediately reported the breach to their commanders, and military investigators promptly arrived at the scene.

Among other items, investigators discovered a shortfall in the number of 5.56 mm diameter bullets, 40mm diameter bullets, M16 detonators and anti-tank mines, all of which is now likely to land in the hands of local crime syndicates or terrorists.

Israeli Military Police believe that the breach occurred during the Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur holidays, Jerusalem Online said in a report

From September 21 to October 12, four major Jewish holidays are celebrated including Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

On Rosh Hashana, no soldiers were in place to guard the armory; on Sunday, the soldier on guard duty took up a position inside the base, instead of at the designated post next to the bunker, the Israeli news outlet noted.

Earlier this year, after nearly three dozen M-16 assault rifles were stolen from a base in southern Israel, the army said it would be directing increased funds toward better security systems for military armories.