Feb. 6 (UPI) — An Israeli boy found a decades-old Israel Defense Forces tank buried underneath desert sand dunes in the Nitzanim Nature Reserve, Israeli police said.
Demolition experts called to the scene said they found an old land mine and tank shell near the tank, though police said the munitions were not related to the tank. The demolition experts destroyed the derelict munitions.
The boy called police on Saturday to report that he saw the turret of a tank protruding from the desert sands. Authorities traveled to the area on Sunday.
The tank did not contain dangerous materials and was filled with sand, police added. Authorities will work to determine the tank’s age and the circumstances surrounding its abandonment once they are able to free the tank from its sandy tomb.
Israeli police said the tank could pre-date the establishment of Israel as a state.
