IDF unit seizes control of Gaza tunnel shaft after surprise attack

A special forces unit operating in northern Gaza repelled a terrorist attack and took over a tunnel shaft.

By World Israel News Staff

An IDF special forces unit carrying out its first operational activity in the Gaza Strip managed to capture a terror tunnel after fighting off a surprise attack recently, an army spokesperson revealed Thursday.

The spokesperson said that the LOTAR counter-terror team, also known as Unit 707, was deployed to the city of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, where it was operating when a terrorist opened fire on the soldiers, apparently after using a tunnel to sneak up on the team.

The attack turned out to be a ploy to lure the soldiers into the tunnel, which the terrorist fled to after firing several shots.

Inside, however, additional terrorists hid, waiting for the IDF soldiers to follow in pursuit.

Suspecting an ambush, the members of the LOTAR unit initially did not enter the tunnel, instead throwing a number of grenades in, killing the terrorists who had been lying in wait.

After the tunnel was secured, the soldiers entered the shaft and prepped it for demolition.

A similar ambush attempt was reported in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, with terrorists operating out of a tunnel attempting to bomb a squad of IDF soldiers.

The attack was foiled and the terrorists eliminated with a combination of tank fire, combat drones, and gunfire.