Surprise drill: IDF gets ready for war

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Published time: September 19, 2012 11:04
Edited time: September 19, 2012 21:00

An Israeli mobile artillery drives through sandy terrain during a military exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, north of Israel on September 19, 2012. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

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Air Force, Israel, Military, Politics, Syria

The Israeli Defense Force has begun surprise live-fire war games on the Golan Heights, bordering unstable Lebanon and Syria. Officially, the Israeli military is practicing combat readiness to repel possible sudden attack from Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

The Chief of IDF General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz ordered troops from the Northern and Central commands, reinforced by reservists, to simulate an emergency. The IDF insists the drill is a routine scheduled event, but for unknown reasons withheld from making public how many troops and what military vehicles are being involved in the war games.

But Israel Radio’s military affairs correspondent who is in regular contact with senior officers, said on air that the timing of the exercise was “not mere coincidence.”

Troops were flown by helicopter from central Israel to the Golan Heights for the exercise.

The live fire drill will be conducted later in the evening and will be overseen by the IDF’s Chief Artillery Officer, Brig. Gen. Roei Riftin.

Similar war games were held a year ago and last week the IDF held drills simulating a mass rocket assault on Israeli territory by Hezbollah.

The IDF has expressed concerns several times that the situation in neighboring Syria, where a civil war is in full swing, might get out of hand. Syria has a considerable chemical weapons stockpile and Israel fears these weapons could fall into the wrong hands if President Bashar al-Assad is ousted. Some defecting Syrian officers claim Assad has plans to hand some of the chemical weapons over to Hezbollah.

Starting from last week, the IDF began reinforcing the fence on the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights area. Military engineers implanted new motion sensors along the border, electrified parts of the fence to activate new alarm systems and planted mines in certain areas along the border.

Israeli soldiers are seen on a Israeli mobile artillery during a military exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, north of Israel on September 19, 2012. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

An Israeli mobile artillery cross a road during a military exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, north of Israel on September 19, 2012. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

An Israeli mobile artillery and APC armored personel carriers cross a road during a military exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, north of Israel on September 19, 2012. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

An Israeli mobile artillery drives through sandy terrain during a military exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, north of Israel on September 19, 2012. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

Comments (154)

tricky (unregistered) 22.09.2012 21:16

I promise you, an attack on Iran or hurting Iranian civilians will mean everlasting retribution. And we will see what israel outpost is worth to you. I repeat, hurt Iran civilians and yours will never find peace. By God.

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vinnie & the yutes (unregistered) 22.09.2012 06:46

Israel isn't threatening to wipe Iran off the map.
Israel isn't threatening to wipe hezbollah off the map.
Israel is willing to make peace with the so called Palestinians- but they're still teaching their kids to hate Jews.
Israel doesn't fire rockets at civilians deliberately, kidnap, rape, murder, steal, suicide bomb other people.
Israel doesn't teach their kids to hate other people.
What ever you think- you will not defeat Israel.
Gd, the 1 and Only protects Israel and you should try accept living in peace-
for your childrens sake.
What benefit is there in so much anger, hostility, resentment, and psychologically bent out of shape issues against Israel.
If the Israel lay down their guns- they'll all be dead, if the Arabs lay down their guns, there'll be peace.
Amazing amount of money and lives wasted trying to wipe out Israel- why not spend it on your kids, schools, universities help the poor!

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Taleghani (unregistered) 22.09.2012 00:07

Awareness (unregistered) wrote in #6
"The VENUS PROJECT advocates an alternative vision for a sustainable new world civilization unlike any socio-economic system that has gone before. It calls for a straightforward redesign of a culture, in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt, and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE." Jacque Fresco is a GREAT GENIUS :)
What a beautiful comment.I too Salute Jacque Fresco.

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