The elite "Egoz" special forces unit of the IDF participated in a joint military exercise with the Cypriot National Guard last week in Cyprus' Troodos Mountains and the Paphos Forest.
Alongside Egoz forces were soldiers from the IDF's elite "Yahalom" combat engineering unit and the Oketz canine unit.
IDF forces in Cyprus
(צילום: דובר צה"ל | עידו ארז | עריכה: יותם קצור)
Soldiers from all three special forces units were only informed of their destination once they boarded transport aircraft. The objective of the exercise, as explained by a senior officer, was to rehearse an operation in foreign territory unfamiliar to IDF forces and to practice cooperative drills with a foreign military force.
IDF forces along with roughly 100 Cypriot troops conducted offensive exercises including unit assaults and close quarters combat in both mockup villages and the forested landscape. Additionally, drills involving mountain combat and subterranean tunnel threats were also conducted.
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Egoz soldiers during their briefing (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
( צילום: דובר צה"ל)
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IDF forces board IAF Blackhawk helicopters in Cyprus (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
( צילום: דובר צה"ל)
As part of the exercises, ten Israeli Air Force (IAF) Blackhawk helicopters ferried soldiers to and from drills conducted both at night and during the day. In addition to the Blackhawks, a number of IAF "Shimshon" Super Hercules transport aircraft also took part in the exercises.
"The exercises seriously raised everyone's sense of security and confidence in the field," said a senior IDF officer present for the exercises. "You could say that the unit's level of skill rose; starting from the individual fighter up through the commanders in the field and commanders in Israel."
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Commander of IAF forces during exercise, Lt. Col. 'G' (Photo: Ido Erez)
( צילום: עידו ארז)
Commander of the Egoz Unit, Col. 'R', said, "From our point of view, we landed deep in enemy territory and were briefed about the mission only on the aircraft. We simulated various scenarios of enemy contact, including subterranean complexes and a dam. Our missions can be in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria or any other place we're needed. We thank the Cypriots for their cooperation and we hope for more in the future."