A Border Police officer and two IDF officers, including a reserve colonel, were arrested this week on suspicion of involvement in an attempted murder that took place approximately one month ago, according to Israel’s Department for Internal Police Investigations (Machash).

The three suspects are relatives. Investigators allege that the Border Police officer, his father — a reserve IDF colonel — and his nephew, who is also an IDF officer, were involved in planning and carrying out the shooting.

According to investigators, the case stems from a road dispute in the Negev several months ago involving the Border Police officer and a member of the Abu Arar family. Authorities claim that roughly six weeks after the altercation, the three suspects allegedly ambushed the victim and shot him in the back.

Machash alleges the shooting was a revenge attack connected to the earlier confrontation.

The suspects deny all allegations.

The three were brought before the Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court for a remand hearing. The Border Police officer’s detention was extended by nine days, while the two other suspects had their detention extended by three days.

Attorney Uri Ben Natan, who represents the suspects, rejected the accusations.

“The suspects deny being involved in the shooting of the victim who was shot in the back,” he said. “It is true that one of the suspects, a Border Police fighter, was allegedly attacked by the victim about a month and a half earlier following a near traffic accident. However, the officer specifically asked not to file a complaint in order not to escalate the dispute.”

The attorney added that, according to his understanding, the victim’s family is involved in numerous other disputes and that the shooting may have been unrelated to the earlier altercation involving the police officer.

The investigation remains ongoing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)