While one IDF female combat soldier is being commended for her swift action in last Friday's Jihadist attack near Egyptian border, another is being accused of hiding away during incident, raising kidnapping fears. "No one can judge her until they're in her place or situation," one of her unit's fellow combat soldier said.

This is her version of the events, while she was giving interview in the local radio:


"I tell my mother 'shots fired! Shots fired! (She was talking with her mother on the cell phone when the attack started) And immediately reported it on the communications radio.

"Then I scanned the area and thought the shots were coming from the direction of the artillery units. Maybe they identified something. So I didn't immediately return fire. After a few seconds I heard…terrorists firing and aiming the weapons at me when I'm 70 meters away and exposed. It was a miracle I wasn't hurt."


"S, another soldier and the regimental operations room claim they heard me scream," said the soldier, "I guess I saw the terrorist, screamed and immediately got off the hummer to take shelter behind the rear tire.

"I loaded my weapon and tried to get back to the radio to report. While I was trying to get to the radio which was on the other side, I once again heard shots in my direction. I take cover behind the tire again and realize I'm alone. I have no covering fire, no one to charge with, I'm looking around at all the artillery troops who don't know my position and understand that the minute I open fire they might respond with friendly fire at me."


IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said "this is an exemplary soldier who conducted the incident and gave an initial report, removed herself from the vehicle and found a spot to wait. She was not required to charge forward as she was not at the point of contact."


"No one can judge her until they're in her place or situation," a memeber of her battalion told Ynet. Southern Command is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"Everyone is always smart after the fact. If not for the fact that she was in the patrol jeep and was able to report the terrorist fire to the sector's operations room, we would be in a very different place right now."


"Even if she feared for her life and preferred at a certain point to find shelter instead of
attacking without any covering fire, this says nothing about her conduct," one Caracal soldier noted.


"There were similar and even worse cases in the IDF's history where combat soldiers from elite and reconnaissance units froze when coming under fire. In this case, her swift response in reporting the incident influenced the final outcome and we should wait until the final inquiry findings are declared".



http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4285705,00.html


The photo is not of her, but of Corporal S. , The sniper who took down one of the Jihadists during the battle