An obsolete and disarmed tank was returned to Israel’s defense establishment after it was stolen from an army training base overnight Tuesday, the army said.
The Military Police in cooperation with the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israel Police opened an investigation into the incident, with two suspects in custody.
The tank was stolen from an IDF training base near the Elyakim Interchange in northern Israel.
A Defense Ministry representative reported the theft to the police and shortly thereafter, Coastal District Police officers located the tank in a junkyard in Nesher, near Haifa.
According to the IDF and the Defense Ministry, the armored vehicle is the shell of a Merkava Mark II tank that went out of service many years ago. It is without armaments and its systems are inoperable.
The tank was stationed in a firing range that was open to travelers and was used as a stationary tool for military exercises.
Source - Jewish Press/X - Video source - Israel Police/X