Israel searches for missing soldier in Golan Heights

The Israeli army began a large-scale search today for one of its soldiers who went missing yesterday.

According to the Israeli army, the soldier was last seen when he left his unit’s base in the occupied Golan Heights.

The army stated that the search for the soldier is focused on the area surrounding the Ketsarin settlement in the Golan.

The missing soldier is serving in a combat unit. Members of his unit are participating in the search.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967; it was unilaterally annexed in December 1981.

The area has been the scene of heightened security since the onset of the civil war in Syria. Israel has taken part in secret meetings with the US and Russia to ensure the area’s safety from groups who could attack it from the Syrian mainland.

Read: Golan Heights ‘essential to our existence,’ says Israeli President

The border between Israeli occupied Golan Heights and Syria [Eviatar Bach/Wikipedia]