Despite his doctors’ orders, injured Golani Brigade commander, who was injured by shrapnel overnight in Gaza, told his family he wants to return to be by his soldiers, “I need to get back to my men”

By Ilana Curiel

Col. Rassan Alian, a Golani Brigade battalion commander, was injured overnight Saturday in light-to-moderate condition and was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva. He talked with his family members on the phone, telling them he intended to return to his soldiers in the Gaza Strip.

Col. Rassan Alian – Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

Alian was injured by shrapnel, including in his eyes, but his vision was undamaged. He still needs to undergo an orthopedic examination, and his doctors have clarified to him that he must stay in the hospital and continue the tests, but he insisted.

He was initially in moderate condition but recovered during his stay in the hospital. “I have a lot of soldiers over there and I need to get back to them,” Alian said in the hospital.

The IDF’s ground incursion into Gaza has led to a rapid rise in the number of terrorists killed. Since the beginning of the ground operation, IDF soldiers have eliminated more than 130 terrorists, including more than 60 Saturday overnight.

During the overnight firefights, a Golani Brigade battalion commander, Colonel Rassan Alian, sustained light-to-moderate injuries.

Large infantry forces entered Gaza overnight, as the IDF expanded Operation Protective Edge on Sunday. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced that the ground forces joined the ongoing operations to destroy terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, which began with the ground incursion.

The escalation of the operation occurred after a difficult day in the Strip, during which four IDF soldiers were killed in a series of incidents.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4546862,00.html