IDF concludes massive drill that simulates war on northern front

Preparing for all eventualities, the IDF has concluded a mass training exercise simulating all-out war in the north.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Israel’s military has concluded a two-week drill to prepare it for simultaneous combat and face multiple threats along its northern border with Syria and Lebanon.

An IDF spokesman stated  Wednesday the exercise that combined air, ground and naval forces and was aimed at “preparing troops for a long-term multi-front conflict.”

Northern Command chief Aviv Kochavi said the exercise “demonstrated IDF’s ability to implement operational plans in all arenas while facing Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) both in Syria and Lebanon. In this framework we simulated vast maneuvers, substantial fire power, and attack of thousands of targets in all combat areas, with high efficiency, including residential areas exploited by the enemy.”

Israel fought a month-long war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorists in 2006. Hezbollah has since been building its military capabilities in preparation for another attack on Israel.

Also on Wednesday, Israel revealed it thwarted a plot by Hezbollah to recruit Palestinian terrorists and establish a network in Samaria to attack Israelis.

On the border with Syria, Israel has been warily watching the Islamic State’s (ISIS) advanced towards its borders, and the IDF estimates it will have to face their threat in the near future.

IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot stated Monday that Israel’s most formidable military threat is the Lebanon-based Hezbollah , and the advent of ISIS in the Middle East has become the most influential factor in the region, and in that context Israel must be prepared to face ISIS militarily on a short notice.