IDF tank commander killed in training accident

An Israel Defense Forces tank commander was killed early Wednesday and three other Armored Corps fighters were lightly injured as a tank flipped over during an exercise in the Golan Heights. The soldier killed was named as Uriel Peretz Librant, 21, of the settlement of Efrat.

The training session was held as part of a regiment and company commanders' course with the Armored Corps' 188th Brigade. During one of the exercises, a Merkava 3 tank flipped over, injuring the soldiers. The army has launched an investigation into the incident.

According to evidence gathered on the ground, during the drill a small bridge was set up in the Tel Shifon area in order to allow the tank to cross a culvert. The tank arrived at the area, began travelling on the mobile bridge, and at a certain stage deviated from it.

Commanders who noticed the incident attempted to stop the tank, but for an unknown reason it continued travelling on the bridge until it fell several meters and flipped over into a ditch.

Scene of accident (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

During the attempt to cross the bridge, the tank commander had his head outside the armored vehicle, as part of procedures. In most cases of this sort, there is a procedure aimed at protecting the fighter, but in practice there is a difficulty bringing in the head and shutting the tank within a few second, which is likely what led to the commander's death.

Armored Corps fighters who were training in the area said that it was a complicated training place with many challenges for the tank team, adding that crossing a bridge required unique skills.

The IDF probe will focus on the construction of the small bridge, the training of the tank team and the way the commanders prepared the team before the training session and their activity throughout the drill.

Ground Forces Commander Major-General Avi Mizrahi decided after the accident to halt all training sessions until an initial report on the accident is issued. A committee has been appointed to look into the accident led by an officer holding the rank of colonel.

'Uriel loved the Golan Heights'

Aharon Librant, Sergeant Uriel Librant's father, told Ynet on Wednesday that his son "loved to go on hikes with friends, and especially loved the Golan Heights. There's not one route there he is not familiar with, and that is where he died.

"He never complained. He would give 100% for anything. I always asked him, 'How is the food in the army?' 'How are you doing without sleep?' He always said there was enough. He was a quiet, modest guy.

"We used to share stories from the military service. He didn’t like to talk about himself, but all those who knew him said he was a genius, a righteous person, who invested in his studies and did everything in a modest manner," the father added.

Uriel was survived by his two parents and three sisters.

2nd accident in past week

The Merkava 3 was inaugurated in 1990 and has since been improved several times. It ways about 65 tons and its maximal speed is about 65 kilometers per hour. The tank has place for four fighters: A commander, an artilleryman, a signal operator and a driver.

This is the second training accident with an armored vehicle, which results in casualties, in less than a week. Several days ago, an armored personnel carrier fell into a ditch in the Nabi Musa training area in the Judea Desert. Nine Kfir Brigade soldiers were injured.

The accident took place at the end of a training session which included traveling in armored personnel carriers in the evening hours. After the exercise, the vehicle made its way towards the soldiers' encampment and feel into a ditch, apparently due to a navigation error. All the soldiers sitting in the vehicles were hit by the fall and were in need of medical treatment.

Less than two years ago, a reserve soldier was killed and five others were lightly to moderately wounded as an armored personnel carrier flipped over during a training session in the Golan Heights.

Ronen Mezini contributed to this report