News / Palestine

Israel stages largest-ever war simulation against Hezbollah

Tuesday, 14 June 2016 10:11 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 14 June 2016 11:31 AM ]

The file photo shows Israeli forces during training.

Israeli military forces have reportedly taken part in the largest-ever simulated war exercise against Lebanon and its resistance movement Hezbollah within virtual reality environment.

Ynetnews, the online publication for Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, compared the exercise to “a giant war videogame, which enlisted troops exercising “around the clock, for two days.”

It said the troops were drilling at the brigade level, which turned the virtual war game into the biggest yet held.

The forces simulated application of weapons systems, which are either yet to become operational or whose application in live-fire exercise is costly.

“The majority of the new fighting systems being tested out in these simulators…are top secret,” the website added.

Participants were from the Golani Brigade, an elite force which was formed in 1948, a tank brigade from the Israeli military and combat engineers. The exercise also featured a drone squadron.

Hezbollah is credited with defending Lebanon against two wars launched by Israel, the US’s strongest ally in the region, in 2000 and 2006.

A file photo of Hezbollah resistance fighters

Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah met with the resistance group's special forces to outline strategies for a possible war with Israel, media reports said.

Hezbollah has been successfully helping the Syrian army fight Takfiri militants in order to prevent the Syria conflict from spilling over to Lebanon.

“One eye on the south (in Lebanon) and the other on Aleppo,” he was quoted as saying, referring to a northwestern Syrian city, which lies close to the border with Lebanon.

Israel, which continues to occupy Syria’s Golan Heights, is widely known for its support for terrorists trying to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

According to Israel’s Channel 2 television, the number of militants having been treated by Israeli medical staff since 2011 has reached 2,100.

Last month, Israeli daily Jerusalem Post quoted military commander Eren Makov as saying that Tel Aviv was training Israelis throughout the northern occupied territories to prepare them for future conflicts with Lebanon.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem reacted to the report, saying the movement was fully prepared to retaliate against any Israeli assault.

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