In a special month-long exercise, the IDF’s Duvdevan Brigade recently trained to confront Hezbollah forces positioned throughout Southern Lebanon near Israel’s northern border.
As one of the military’s most elite counter-terrorism units, the
brigade typically works to thwart terror in Judea and Samaria — part of
Israel’s central region — but is now preparing to battle similar threats
facing Israel’s northern region.
The
exercise included a week of training in urban warfare, leading soldiers
through a large model of an Arab village containing simulated terror
threats. Although the soldiers frequently train in similar villages
located throughout Judea and Samaria, this exercise was notably
different — featuring targets designed to resemble Hezbollah terrorists.
Duvdevan soldiers in training
The
training marked the unit’s second-ever exercise aimed at addressing
threats beyond Judea and Samaria. The exercise consisted of several
drills in Israel’s northern region, preparing soldiers for a
confrontation with nearby Hezbollah militants.
“Judea
and Samaria is still our main area of activity,” explained Maj. Y,
Duvdevan’s deputy commander, “but in cases of an escalation, and in a
time of war, we know that we have to be prepared for a confrontation in
the north or south.”
Duvdevan,
one of the most elite brigades in the IDF, has been nicknamed the
“disguised unit”— known for sending undercover soldiers into Palestinian
villages where they gather valuable intelligence on terrorist suspects.
The soldiers participate daily in missions that prevent acts of terror,
arresting terrorists and clearing explosive devices intended for use in
terror attacks.
"At
the end of the day, our advantage stays the same: we come in strong —
with the element of surprise and good intelligence on our side,” Maj. Y
comments on Duvdevan’s arrests of terror suspects. “We are a unit that
masters its area of expertise and that knows how to do its work.”
Duvdevan
confronts a range of challenges in Judea and Samaria, making it the
ideal unit to address the evolving threat of Hezbollah in the north. "We
are familiar with all sorts of incidents and responses,” Maj. Y
explains. “We have learned that every mission can be different.”
The
brigade consists almost entirely of specialists — soldiers who learn
areas of expertise that are essential to the unit’s overall success. To
enhance the soldiers’ respective skill sets, the IDF provides them with
special weapons and advanced training customized to their tasks.
With
these sophisticated tools, the IDF thoroughly prepares its soldiers to
battle terror threats facing Israel — whether from Judea and Samaria or
Hezbollah strongholds in Southern Lebanon.
“We
must cut the grass before it grows,” Maj. Y says. “Today, the main
objective of our work is to deal with threats before they become
dangerous."
No comments:
Post a Comment