IDF. Weapons Seizures in May. - Lotar Eilat: The face of counterterrorism

8 weapon seizures you didn’t hear about from May 2013

Every day of the year, the IDF works towards preventing terror and keeping the citizens of Israel safe. In May, IDF forces seized a large number of illegal weapons and apprehended the would-be terrorists in possession of them. Thanks to the work of the IDF, here are 8 weapon seizures you didn’t hear about from the month of May.

May 5 – IDF forces arrested a Palestinian man near Bethlehem in possession of an improvised weapon, ammunition and a 12 cm knife.

May 6 – IDF forces uncovered a rifle, ammunition and military equipment in the house of a terror suspect. The suspect was transferred to security forces for investigation.

May 9 – IDF forces arrested a Palestinian man in possession of an illegal rifle and a 9 cm-long knife.

Illegal rifle confiscated on May 9

May 13 – IDF forces discovered 3 Palestinians as they attempted to ignite 5 firebombs next to a checkpoint near Nablus. They were also found in possession of a 12 cm-long knife. The men were transferred to the Palestinian Security Forces.

May 14 – IDF forces seized an illegal hunting rifle, ammunition, military helmets and a tactical vest during the arrest of a terror suspect in Hebron.

May 19 – IDF forces seized 2 pistols, a hunting rifle, military vest, and ammunition during the arrest of a terror suspect near Nablus.

Weapons confiscated on May 19

May 22 – IDF forces seized an improvised weapon, ammunition and military equipment during the arrest of a terror suspect near Nablus.

May 31 – IDF forces arrested a Palestinian man in possession of an illegal hunting rifle near Bethlehem.

Hunting rifle confiscated on May 31

“In May, we succeeded in seizing a significant quantity of weapons during the course of routine security and counterterrorism activity. The numbers reflect the IDF’s constant efforts, together with other security forces, to maintain security stability by thwarting those who seek to undermine the situation. The IDF will continue to operate night and day in order to defend Israel and to fight terror.” – Brig. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Judea and Samaria Division Commander

The Israel Defense Forces remains vigilant and will continue to work to seize weapons and apprehend those who seek to harm the State of Israel and its citizens.

Infographic: Palestinian Violence in Judea and Samaria, 

May 13th-20th, 2013

Violent incidents happen in Judea and Samaria constantly. Last week alone, the IDF dealt with 115 incidences of rock and firebomb throwing by Palestinians. Because this violence is ongoing, it seems mundane. But when a rock smashes through a person’s car window, that violence doesn’t seem so mundane any more. The IDF will continue to act to protect Israeli civilians.

Published on: May 20, 2013
IDF Forces Uncover Large Weapons Cache

 IDF forces uncovered a large weapons cache in the house of a wanted terrorist in Kafr Qalil, a village in the Samaria region. The weapons were confiscated and transferred to investigative security forces.

The IDF forces discovered a shotgun, a pistol, various parts of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment at the site.

The IDF will continue to operate day and night in order to keep the citizens of Israel safe.

The weapons discovered by IDF forces

Lotar Eilat: The face of counterterrorism

The unit that protects Israel’s southernmost city is trained in the most advanced counterterrorism tactics and ready to go from standby into battle in just a few minutes

Earlier this month, the elite unit’s soldiers gathered to undergo a unit-wide training at the IDF’s Mitkan Adam counterterrorism training facility. One of the training session’s unique exercises had the soldiers learn how to storm a hijacked bus. “The exercise is meant to make sure that all the systems in the unit are in synchronisation,” said Company Commander Cpt. P in between exercises. “In addition, each squad trains in the most basic elements of an operation: identification, entering a room, and how to act in various scenarios. The difficulty level rises as we train, and near the end of the week, the exercises will become more complex,” he said.

How it all began

Lotar Eilat was founded in the 1970s by IDF soldiers who had completed their mandatory service. The founding soldiers were all volunteers, whose goal it was to prevent terror attacks in the city of Eilat. But the real story of the unit begins in 1989, when a Jordanian terrorist penetrated Kibbutz Lotan in the Arava region in Israel’s south, kidnapped a small girl, and barricaded himself in a house. The child’s life was in mortal danger.

Tactical recovery units were called to the scene immediately, but timing was critical and they were taking too long to get there. Lotar Eilat, which at that time was a small reserve unit, arrived at the location of the attack, but did not have the proper training to carry out the rescue operation. The IDF Chief of the General Staff made a decision: he would allow them to attempt the operation. They succeeded, rescued the girl and saved her life.

Since then, the unit has taken part in many successful operations, including the tactical recovery of enemy aircraft that had landed in Israel. In the year 2000, after it had proven itself time and again, Lotar Eilat was officially recognized as a tactical recovery unit.

The unit was in the headlines again in August 2011. Terrorists had infiltrated into Israel through the Egyptian border, and carried out coordinated attacks which killed six and injured many more. Lotar Eilat was called to the scene, arriving within minutes of the incident. In cooperation with other IDF forces and special units, they engaged and neutralized the terrorists. The unit also dealt with an incident in an Eilat hotel in 2012, when a  man grabbed a security guard’s gun and killed a hotel employeel.

Threats to Eilat are very real, so the existence of the unit means that residents of the city can sleep peacefully at night. Even the soldiers of the unit feel that peace of mind, and know that they can send their kids to kindergarten, and in any scenario that occurs, their friends will be there to protect them.

It is crucial that the fighters of the unit are ready to go at any given moment, so they train together regularly to ensure they meet all the requirements asked of them. Their reserve duty is unlike that of any other reserve unit - they are obligated to do 100 days of reserve service a year. "We train every few weeks, do unit-wide training twice a year," said Cpt. P. "We try not to stop living our lives because of the numerous training exercises we have to do, but sometimes you have to in order to achieve the goal. The work we do is around the clock, even when we are not in reserve duty."

“My children are already used to seeing me in uniform, and there’s no separation between work and military duty for them,” said Lt. Col. T., commander of Lotar Eilat. “The sharp transition between routine and the life of a soldier who goes into combat requires a different mental approach. You are not really ever detached from the army.”

No ordinary unit

The sense of duty among Lotar Eilat reservists is absolute.  "Everyone who is here is here because he wants to be and believes in what we do," Lt. Col. T said.  "When I recruit for training , attendance rates are one hundred percent and will always remain so." The commitment of these reserve soldiers is so high that one of the platoon leaders was present at the training exercise two days before his wedding.

Lotar Eilat is no ordinary reserve unit. "Once past the gates of our base, we are a full-fledged military unit, not just some ordinary reserve unit," Lt. Col. T. said. Due to the highly classified nature of their missions, the soldiers in this unit are hesitant to share details and frequently call their commanding officer in the middle of an interview, asking if particular questions being posed to them can be answered.

 

There are three essential conditions which must be met for any soldier to be qualified to serve in the counterterrorism unit: the candidate must live in Eilat or the southern desert; he must be registered as a career combat soldier, and must have a high security clearance. Candidates who meet those three requirements then undergo a series of personal interviews and medical examinations. If deemed worthy, the candidate is then sent to a three-week course at the IDF Counterterrorism School. "Whoever finishes the course is sent to join a unit and undergoes a yearlong training. Upon completion, he joins the squads and from there undergoes an additional two years of training," the unit’s commanding officer explained.  

via IDF