A group of IDF soldiers operating in Syria two weeks ago stole a herd of some 250 goats and smuggled them into West Bank farmlands, Israeli television revealed Thursday, citing information obtained from law enforcement authorities.

A battalion from the Golan Brigade, operating in the Golan Heights, was conducting a mission inside Syrian territory when it identified the herd — belonging to Syrian farmers — and brought it into Israeli territory, according to Channel 12 news.

The goats were then reportedly loaded onto trucks that were apparently prepared in advance and transported to several farms in illegal outposts in the West Bank, where livestock grazing is common.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement to the network that as a result of the incident — which was not authorized in real time — the squad commander was........

© The Times of Israel