Exclusive: IDF’s biochemical unit
Ynetnews special: New counter-terror unit trained to deal with non-conventional threats
(VIDEO) Biological weapons? A chemical explosive device? The IDF’s Yanshuf (Owl) unit can handle it.
Yanshuf fighters are ready for anything, a senior IDF officer told Ynet, addressing the highly specialized force, equipped to deal with unconventional terrorist attacks ranging from chemical to biological strikes.
"Every day we deal with at least two warnings of unconventional terror attacks against Israeli targets," he said.
The threat is already at Israel's doorstep, the officer said, revealing that "in recent terror attacks, we found that some of the explosive devices were dipped in rat poison."
Last weekend, the unit's fighters completed their first training course. The unit's commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mart Maayan, says his fighters will not be “unemployed.”
“The harder it becomes for terrorists to carry out attacks using explosive materials or to get explosive devices through border crossings, and as long as the motivation remains the same, the attempts to act by using chemical materials will intensify,” he said.
At the end of the 1991 Gulf War, the IDF set up its first NBC company, Ankor (Sparrow.) A number of years later, a second company was set up, but the activities of both companies did not meet Israeli needs.
Several weeks ago, the situation analysis held by the IDF and aimed at examining Israel's ability to deal with NBC threats in the near future concluded with a decision to create a completely new battalion, which had never before existed in the Israeli army.
To this end, existing companies were unified, and the training provided to unit members was refreshed.
10-kilomter jog with gas masks on
The battalion's members received training at the IDF’s combat engineering school, in accordance with a decision by NBC Center Chief, Colonel Eliezer Bitansky.
"These guys know how to respond to every irregular incident, including a 'mega attack.' They know how to identify chemical materials ranging from the simplest to the most complex substances," said the senior officer.
"Last weekend, they completed the training stage for March 2005. The unit's members were made to run 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) with gas masks on their face. It's not easy, but the IDF would rather prepare soldiers to be able to deal with the threat now," the officer said.
He added that terrorist organizations have no problem in carrying out, even today, attacks using chemicals sold in stores across the Palestinian territories. Moreover, terror groups already have a number of experts in the field, he said.
"In the past, we found in the territories all kinds of chemicals, like cyanide, which were meant to be used in attacks," the officer said.
"Yanshuf soldiers can identify chemical substances, operate in areas where they were dispersed, cleanse the area, and carry out any other operation needed," he added.
Company Commander Tal Heftman says he is especially proud of his soldiers.
"The soldiers are well familiar with the missions they may have to carry out, both operationally and psychologically," said Heftman just before the end of the exhausting training course.
Female troops welcome
During their training, the soldiers deal with a number of various scenarios, including a coordinated attack involving explosives and chemicals. The senior officer said that only proper training will enable the soldiers to avoid panic in a chemical terror attack, with the panic causing many more casualties than the chemical itself.
In the last training session, the NBC counter-terror fighters did not have women among their ranks, in order to allow religious soldiers to join the elite unit, but future recruits will include female fighters training shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts, and serving for three years just like the men.
Meanwhile, a female soldier recently became a deputy company commander at the unit.
"The unit gives female fighters a rare chance to be in the center of the action, at the front, and it’s definitely not something routine in the IDF," battalion commander Maayan concluded.
