Israeli special forces aid search for missing teenage shepherd in West Bank

Israel Police, along with IDF troops and hundreds of volunteers, worked on Friday to locate missing 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair, a resident of Jerusalem, according to Police, IDF, and media reports.

As the day progressed, IDF air and ground units, including special forces units, were activated to help participate in the search.

During the search, there was a reported attempt to attack people searching for Achimair near the village of Al Mughayyir. Israeli media reported that three soldiers were minorly wounded and one Palestinian killed, while Palestinian media reported six Palestinians wounded by Israeli fire.

Palestinian media also reported that Jews had set fire to a Palestinian's car in Al Mughayyir.

Massive search underway

The commander of the Central Command, Yehuda Fox, the commander of the West Bank division, Yaakov Dolf, and the commander of the Binyamin Brigade, Liron Bitton, were all present on the ground, leading search and rescue efforts.

Troops blocked roads and searched cars in the area. The IDF reportedly cordoned off the villages of Al Mughayyir and Duma until further notice; however, later reports disputed this, saying that the village of Duma was still completely open.

The missing teen left Gal farm in the Samaria region of the West Bank in the morning to graze sheep, and after several hours, the herd returned without him.

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau confirmed that the search must continue through Shabbat as this is a matter of life or death. "Since the situation now is a matter of pikuach nefesh, the searches must continue to be carried out even into Shabbat as much as necessary. Any action required for the searches can and should be carried out on Shabbat as well."

Achimair reportedly has a full build, light curly hair, and is wearing a blue shirt.

Anyone who knows anything about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Israel Police's 100 hotline or the Binyamin Police Station at tel. 029706444.