Israeli military says body of soldier missing for 43 years found in 'heart of Syria'

The Israeli military said on Sunday it had repatriated the body of a soldier missing for more than four decades, after finding his remains in the "heart of Syria" during a special operation with the Mossad intelligence agency.

Tzvika Feldman was one of three Israeli soldiers who disappeared during a 1982 battle against Syrian forces in eastern Lebanon.

One of the soldiers returned to Israel six years ago, and with Feldman now brought home, Israeli leaders said efforts will continue to recover the third.

"In a special operation led by the IDF (army) and Mossad, the body of Sergeant First Class Tzvika Feldman was found in the heart of Syria and brought back to Israel," the army said in a statement, foreign media reported, according to the Telegraph.

In a separate statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the efforts to find Feldman's remains, noting that the search for him and his companions - Zachariah Baumel and Yehuda Katz - had been ongoing for decades.

The military said Feldman's remains had been identified by the Genomic Identification Center..., but gave few details about how his body was found deep inside Syria.

"Sergeant Feldman's return was made possible through a complex and covert operation, enabled by accurate intelligence and the use of operational skills that demonstrated ingenuity and courage," the statement said. /Telegraph/