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Photo: AP
Soldiers at Kalandiya roadblock following stabbing of Nir Kahane
Photo: AP

Kalandiya: Crossings unit suffers first casualty

Nir Kahane, Military Police soldier killed Thursday in Kalandiya roadblock stabbing, is first casualty of IDF's crossings unit established in 2004 to supply professional, skilled manpower for roadblock security checks

Sergeant Nir Kahane, 20, who was killed Thursday afternoon after being stabbed by a Palestinian assailant at the Kalandiya roadblock, was the first casualty of the new crossings unit established by the Military Police.

 

The unit, which was established in June 2004, is called Taoz and is headed by Lieutenant Colonel Oren Julian.

 

The decision to establish the unit was made after the army detected a need for skilled and professional manpower to conduct security checks at the West Bank crossings.

 

"The unit, which is at the spearhead of roadblocks, has lost one of its soldiers in a despicable murder," an IDF official told Ynet.

 

"These are the soldiers who ease the Palestinian population's life. They are at the front, and today we saw them fight with courage and total devotion," the official said.

 

The unit’s male and female soldiers serve in a variety of roles at the different crossings. The soldiers undergo training and preparation at a Military Police training camp and are then stationed at the different roadblocks.

 

The soldiers carry out different assignments in accordance with their training. Some operate explosive detection machines, others serve as security testers and others operate metal detecting machines.

 

Since the unit's establishment, its soldiers have made impressive achievements in the area of fighting terror. They captured Palestinians wanted by the Shin Bet, found fake certificates and detained hundreds of wanted Palestinians and hundreds of others carrying weapons and explosive devices.

 

Unit praised by Central Command, General Staff

 

In total, the soldiers were involved in 7,950 incidents related to fighting terror.

 

A female soldier from the unit was lightly injured during the Jewish New Year when an armed Palestinian stabbed her at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus. The terrorist was arrested.

 

The following day, another Palestinian attempted to stab a soldier, but failed.

 

The Taoz unit has been praised by the Central Command and the General Staff. Military police officials said that the unit constitutes the military police's key contribution to fighting terror.

 

The incident at the Kalandiya roadblock is the second incident in which Military Police soldiers are killed in action.

 

In December 2002, Corporal Keren Yaacobi and Sergeant Meir Halfon were killed by terrorists who fired at them while they were securing the worshippers' route near Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs.

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.08.05, 21:42
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