(Israel Hayom) Tal Ariel Yakir - When Hamas infiltrated southern Israel and began its massacre, Captain Bar and his tank crew of four found themselves facing hundreds of terrorists trying to climb the fighting vehicle, damaging the communication system, and piercing the oil tanks. The IDF fighters drove through the targeted towns of Nirim, Ein Hashlosha, and Kissufim, and single-handedly eliminated over 70 terrorists. "I saw wounded soldiers on the way, but the mission was clear to us," Bar said. "I understood I needed to save hundreds of residents, not a few soldiers. It breaks the heart to see wounded and killed fighters on the ground, but you have to turn off your emotions because breaking down is not a solution. In war, you act calmly." He recalled the sudden rocket barrage that began on the morning of Oct. 7 and said, "We immediately jumped into the tanks. Our commander informed us that terrorists had infiltrated near Nirim. We drove in that direction, and less than a minute later, near Ein Hashlosha, we came across a group of four terrorists with cars and motorcycles. They shot at us, but we managed to eliminate them." "I continued driving with a faulty engine, and we took down squad after squad. We continued like this until Re'im when the engine gave out." The tank crew joined up with an infantry force, while Bar and the gunner walked to a nearby base. "In front of the outpost, dozens of terrorists surrounded us, and we ran inside....I organized the outpost....It was 25 of us against 60 terrorists, and we managed to push them back."
2023-10-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive