Police dog helps capture terrorist, saves elite Israeli fighters’ lives, killed in battle

“Zili has been a partner in hundreds of Yamam operations in recent years, and this morning he apparently saved the lives of the fighters,” Police Commissioner Shabtai said.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai eulogized Zili, a police dog and a member of the elite Yamam counterterrorism unit. Zili was killed on Tuesday during a gun battle with terrorists in Shechem (Nablus).

IDF forces and Special units operated in the city to capture terrorist Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi and subsequently eliminated him and two others. Several other terrorists were injured.

During the three-hour battle, the IDF began with a “Pressure Cooker” procedure to force the terrorists to surrender, which included small arms fire and, finally, firing shoulder-launched rockets that collapsed the building, killing al-Nabulsi and an accomplice.

Zili was shot to death at the beginning of the operation. He was sent to the building to seek out the terrorists.

“Unfortunately, the nine-year-old Yamam dog Zili, a real fighter who walked on all fours, was killed,” Shabtai stated.

In 2019, Zili was sent into a high-rise building in Ramallah, where he located and took control of the terrorist who murdered the late Ori Ansbacher until the arrival of the human forces, who arrested him.

“Zili has been a partner in hundreds of Yamam operations in recent years, and this morning he apparently saved the lives of the fighters,” Shabtai said.

“We will continue our uncompromising fight against terrorism and will even increase our activity in the field as soon as we detect a threat to the citizens of Israel or the security forces,” he declared.

The IDF and the police operate with specially trained dogs for counterterrorism missions, search and rescue, and other specific purposes.