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Palestinians kill second top-grade Israeli tank
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Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, March 11, 2002
GAZA CITY Ñ Palestinian insurgents have destroyed their second
Israeli tank in as many months.
Both tanks were that of the Merkava Mk-3, regarded as the most protected
tank in the world.
In both cases, the tanks were destroyed by a landmine. In the latest
attack on Thursday, the mine, regarded as being about 100 kilograms,
shattered the 80-ton tank. Three soldiers were killed.
"The cases are not identical," Brig. Gen. Zvi Fogel, a senior army
officer, said. "We have something to learn from the latest incident. We are
in the first stage of the investigation."
On Feb. 12, three soldiers were killed in a blast that destroyed the
same model tank. The turret of the tank separated from the rest of the
vehicle.
Israel's military has appointed a panel to examine the destruction of
the tanks. An investigation of the February incident asserted that
additional
armor on the undercarriage of the Merkava would not have protected the tank.
Military sources said the Palestinian insurgents appear to have adopted
the tactics of the Iranian-backed Hizbullah. But throughout its more than
15-year insurgency war in southern Lebanon, Hizbullah did not succeed in
destroying a Merkava tank.
On Friday, Israeli troops were withdrawn from major Palestinian cities
in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers and tanks were pulled out of Ramallah,
Kalkilya and Tulkarm and imposed a siege on the cities amid the arrival of
U.S. peace envoy Anthony Zinni.
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