Last update - 00:00 17/03/2007
UN troops rescued unharmed from Golan Heights minefield
By Eli Ashkenzi, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Two United Nations soldiers and their vehicle were extracted unharmed on Saturday from a minefield in the Golan Heights.
According to Army Radio, the police investigation into the incident indicates the driver lost control of the vehicle after crossing the Bnot Yaakov Bridge over the Jordan River, swerved off of the road and rolled into a minefield.
Moments later, the radio reported, the UN soldiers noticed a warning sign indicating they were in a minefield and alerted rescue forces.
A Galilee police unit and Israel Defense Forces Engineering Corps troops arrived and closed the road. It took the Engineering Corps several hours to extract the UN soldiers.
The driver of the vehicle told police he swerved off of the road to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming car.