Lt Anatoly Krasik

Jun 22, 2002 - Lt. Anatoly Krasik, 22, of Petah Tikva, died of wounds sustained on June 15 in a confrontation with terrorists near Alei Sinai and Dugit in the northern Gaza Strip, in which two other soldiers were killed.

The firefight took place at around 8 P.M. Saturday evening. Several hours earlier their deaths, the Givati unit succeeded in thwarting a large-scale terrorist attack, when they spotted a car rigged with 180 kilograms of explosives between Elei Sinai and Dugit in the northern Gaza Strip and blew it up. Lt. Anatoly Krasik, deputy commander of the Givati "Orev" company, who was commander of the outpost that day, was afterwards interviewed in the media about the successful operation.

IDF troops then combed the area in a search for additional explosive devices. One of the patrols ran into a Palestinian ambush and in the initial burst of fire, two soldiers from the Givati Brigade - St.-Sgt. Haim Yehezkel Gutman and St.-Sgt. Alexei Gladkov - were killed. In the ensuing gunfight, Lt. Anatoly Krasik and three Givati soldiers were wounded. Anatoly succumbed to his injuries on June 22.

Anatoly Krasik immigrated to Israel at the age of 16, in a youth aliya project. His parents and sister followed a year later. He completed his high-school studies in Ben Shemen and served in the army in the Givati Brigade in Lebanon and later completed an officers' course.

. His sister, Rima, said that Anatoly had hoped to study history and psychology at university. "He had plans for a military career," Rima said, "but he also hoped that during the course of his service, he'd he able to take a study leave."

Lt. Anatoly Krasik was buried in Petah Tikva. He is survived by his parents and a younger sister.