IDF Special Forces Soldier and Dog Recover Together at Hospital

‘Dago’ was injured along with soldiers in Jenin after terrorists detonated explosives, and refused to leave the side of his handler.

By United with Israel staff and TPS

An injured IDF special forces dog was seen recovering by the side of his injured handler at Rambam Hospital in Haifa after involvement in a rescue mission in the Palestinian-Authority controlled city of Jenin, images on social media showed.

The dog, “Dago,” was reportedly in a vehicle hit by an IED during the operation.

This @IDF canine hero is being treated alongside his IDF handler.

Dago, an IDF dog, was with soldiers in a vehicle hit by an IED in Jenin. He was evacuated by helicopter with the wounded and sent for an urgent CT scan that revealed internal bleeding and a pelvic fracture. pic.twitter.com/js3KuoKJQt

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) June 19, 2023

Dago refused to leave the side of his handler, Israel National News reported, and was allowed to stay with him at the hospital.

The dog is part of the IDF’s elite “Oketz” Canine unit, Israel National News said. According to the IDF, “Soldiers [in Oketz] receive their dog during their training and spend a lot of time with the dog. The links between dogs and soldiers are very important during a military operation and are an integral part of the unit’s characteristics.”

During the rescue operation to extract troops who had come under heavy fire following a raid to arrest Palestinian terrorists, Palestinians detonated explosives buried under the road, damaging at least two military vehicles.

The IDF said two soldiers and five members of the Border Police were injured. All were evacuated for medical treatment for light-moderate injuries.

With Palestinians firing on the trapped soldiers and throwing explosives, the IDF brought in Apache attack helicopters to cover the rescue. It was the first time since 2002 that the military has used combat helicopters to carry out open air strikes in Judea and Samaria.

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