Israeli general: War with Syria may include chemical, guerilla warfare

'Syria has a large, equipped and trained regular army, and lately we have identified some guerilla activity in its ranks,' Major-General Avi Mizrahi tells Land Maneuver conference
Hanan Greenberg |
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Any future military conflict with Syria mayinclude chemical warfare and fighting against guerrilla and regular army forces, said Major-General Avi Mizrahi, head of the GOC Army Headquarters.
Speaking at the Land Maneuver in the 21st Century conference, held in Latrun on Wednesday, Mizrahi said: "Syria has a large, equipped and trained regular army, and lately we have identified some guerilla activity in its ranks."
Alongside the optimism surrounding the indirect Turkish-mediated talks betweenJerusalem and Damascus, Israel isgearing up for a far more pessimistic scenario, with senior military officials estimating that the country would face a major missile threat should a conflict break out.
As for the possibility of a preemptive strike, Mizrahi said "if the Air Force can prevent (Syrian) forces from making their way to the front lines, this will help our forces."
The general added that a future military confrontation with Syria may include chemical warfare. "We are taking this possibility into account," he said.
Mizrahi noted that the IDF has increased training since the end of the Second Lebanon War ,but said there was still room for improvement.
"We still have a long way to go before we reach exceptional operational capabilities; currently our situation is reasonable," he said.
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