A Merkava Mark II tank that was stolen from an IDF training base in northern Israel was on Wednesday located by police in a junkyard near the city of Nesher and two suspects in their 40s were in custody.
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The Defense Ministry reported the incident to the police as soon as it was confirmed. An investigation was launched immediately, leading to the tank's discovery.
The tank had been out of service for many years and was used for training purposes by the military. The IDF has a number of decommissioned armored vehicles, which are sometimes used for artillery fire practice.
The tank was not armed and did not contain any operational systems and was likely stolen for its metal which could then be sold.