- Title: ISRAEL: ISRAELI ARMY SHOWS FIREPOWER DURING MILITARY EXRECISES.
- Date: 14th October 2004
- Summary: (W4) SHIZAFON MILITARY BASE, SOUTHERN ISRAEL (OCTOBER 13, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. LV/PAN: WIDE OF AREA FOR MILITARY EXERCISES 0.11 2. LV/L/VPAN: ISRAELI MILITARY TANKS IN OPEN AREA; TANKS FIRING IN DISTANCE; CLOUDS OF SMOKE (7 SHOTS) 1.34 3. LV/GV: ISRAELI SOLDIERS CLIMBING OUT OF TANK AND RUNNING TOWARDS HILL, FIRING FROM HILL (3 SHOTS) 1.56
- Embargoed: 29th October 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SHIZAFON MILITARY BASE, SOUTHERN ISRAEL
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVA8TLZC2XNVCJGRI3QOVLDV0DMT
- Story Text: Israeli army exhibits its fire power during military
exercises in southern Israel.
The Israeli Defence Force demonstrated its fire
power on Wednesday (October 13) at the Shizafon Military
Base in southern Israel.
Crowds of army personnel, members of parliament and
journalists gathered at the base, near the southern Israeli
town of Eilat, to witness the army's Ground Forces
demonstrate their capabilities.
Tanks and helicopter gunships fired at strategic
positions near a mock refugee camp and enacted battle
scenarios, including house searches, aid drops, the
evacuation of wounded and arrests.
Colonel Gal Hirsch, head of the IDF Ground Forces
training school, said the exercises were essential for new
cadets entering the army, who are required to protect
Israel's borders.
"We should train our cadets which intend to be platoon
commanders soon, company commanders later on, they should
know how to fight, to guard and protect Israel from all the
threats along the Israeli borders and other regular armies,
if needed and especially to fight against terrorism,"
Hirsch said.
"The terror(ists) use the population, mass populated
areas in the Gaza Strip, Judea, Samaria (West Bank) as a
shelter and we do not have any other choice but to take
Israeli Defence Forces, Ground Forces and to penetrate, to
enter inside things like, unfortunately, refugee camps,
casbas (old cities) and urban areas. We do not like it
since there are many innocent people there, but what choice
do we have. The alternative is suicide bomber in Tel Aviv,"
he added.
Wednesday's military exercises were part of an annual
show of force by the army. A Low Intensity Conflict (LIC)
demonstration is also planned for early next year.
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