Israeli Army Rescues Teenager Stranded in Golan Minefield

Israeli soldiers rescued a 17-year-old boy who entered a minefield in the Golan Heights on Tuesday night.

Rescue workers, along with soldiers from an engineering division worked for four hours to get the boy out.

The minefield is near Moshav Meitsar, which is located near the borders of Israel, Syria and Jordan. It wasn’t clear how (or why) the teen managed to enter it.

The Israel National Mine Action Authority is responsible for demining operations around Israel. In July, it finished clearing minefields in the Jordan Valley and turned over 1,700 dunams (420 acres) of land for agriculture, tourism, and industry.

Demining the Golan is more complicated because many of the minefields were placed by Syria before the Six-Day War of 1967. Erosion can cause mines to shift locations.