A female IDF soldier was seriously injured by shrapnel in the course of a gun battle during a counterterrorism operation in the Jordan Valley overnight Tuesday

The incident occurred as IDF forces were operating in the village of Tubas to arrest a wanted person suspected of terrorist activity. During the operation, terrorists opened fire at the IDF soldiers who were in hiding positions behind a wall prior to advancing toward the suspect’s home. A bullet fired by the terrorists apparently hit the wall and a piece of shrapnel hit the soldier’s head.

The soldier was evacuated in serious condition to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer.

Ynet quoted Dr. Avital Perry, a senior neurosurgeon at Sheba, as saying that the soldier’s life is still at risk and “the coming days will be critical.”

She said that the soldier was “injured as a result of shrapnel that hit her head and entered several areas of the brain. She’s currently in a vague state of consciousness and still can’t explain to us exactly what happened. She has gaps in her memory, which are very typical for patients with severe head injuries.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)