Palestinians using advanced tools to dig tunnels

Maariv International ^ | 10 May, 2004 | Amir Buhbut

[yonif]

Battalion commander Lt. Col. Babi Ben-Itach has told Maariv Online that the Palestinians who dig up weapons-smuggling tunnels on the Egyptian border have began using professional electric tools unseen by the IDF so far.

Yesterday, Desert Patrol battalion fighters and undercover Border Guard officers have uncovered an arms-smuggling tunnel in the Rafah area. Six Palestinians who were digging up the tunnel were caught in the act and surrounded to IDF forces following negotiations. A search of the tunnel, which was five-meter deep and 200-meter long uncovered electric digging tools.

Lt. Col. Ben-Itach said: "For the first time we uncovered advance tools for digging tunnels. We are talking about an entirely different rate of digging from what we have seen so far".

Lt. Col. Ben-Itach also emphasized that the arrests of the tunnel diggers is of great intelligence value. According to him, their capture will shed more light on how the tunnel construction system operates and on the organizations behind the weapons smuggling. "Interrogation of the tunnel diggers revealed that 17 year-olds dug for five days straight. They dug, ate and slept inside the tunnels without leaving even once in order to finish the job on time", Ben-Itach said. "It is sheer exploitation of people who are forced into the job because of the difficult economic situation in the area, they don't think about the fact that the tunnels are used for smuggling weapons to terror groups", he said.

The six arrested were taken in for questioning by the GSS and the tunnel was blown up in a controlled detonation by Border Police sappers on Sunday.

[yonif]

Interrogation of the tunnel diggers revealed that 17 year-olds dug for five days straight. They dug, ate and slept inside the tunnels without leaving even once in order to finish the job on time

Where is the UN or UNICEF outcry?

[EggsAckley]

ate and slept inside the tunnels without leaving even once

Well, then they shouldn't mind being stuck in some prison cells for a few years. Once a caveman, always a caveman.

[roadcat]

Why can't they salt the earth with radioactive elements when they blow up the tunnels? That'll slow down the palis who dig future tunnels, they wouldn't last days in the tunnel before croaking. And easier to track the miscreants on the surface.