Bedouin weapons thieves operating in southern Israel stole a machine gun from an IDF base, while the soldiers who were guarding it slept, according to the army’s Military Police Investigation Unit.

The incident occurred on the Tze’elim army base in the Negev, when Bedouin thieves broke into the facility and stole an FN MAG machine gun mounted on an army vehicle.

According to an investigation into the incident, the thieves managed to steal the weapon after a group of soldiers guarding the vehicle fell asleep.

The thieves hid nearby and when they saw they had an opportunity, removed the weapon from its mount and fled the scene, the Military Police Investigation Unit found.

“A report was received about the theft of a MAG from one of the units training at an IDF training area in the south of Israel during a routine exercise,” an army spokesperson said. “Upon receipt of the report, searches began in the area to locate the weapon. The military police began an investigation into the circumstances of the incident. At the conclusion of the investigation, the findings will be forwarded to the Military Advocate General for examination.”

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