Nation-wide drill simulates terrorism, public disturbances

Police launches surprise security exercise aimed at ground units' first responses to various emergency incidents; heavy police traffic, sirens expected.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Police drill guns raid cops 311 (photo credit: Israel Police)
Police drill guns raid cops 311
(photo credit: Israel Police)
The Israel Police has launched a surprise nationwide security drill simulating terrorist attacks and large public disturbances on Thursday.
The five-hour exercise, which was managed by the police’s Operations Branch, is aimed at testing field units’ first responses to various emergency incidents, police said.
RELATED:Missile attack drill to be held in capitalBig Border Police exercise this week
In the Jerusalem district, officers simulated murder and kidnapping scenarios that then crossed the Green Line into the Judea and Samaria district.
In the South, a patrol car was “hijacked” by terrorists and stopped.
Officers in the Central district were instructed to deal with a simulated truck bomb attack that originated from the West Bank.
Police in the North were asked to deal with a simulated kidnapping, and a separate incident involving hazardous materials.
Finally, in Tel Aviv, the drill focused on a scenario involving terrorists who had taken control of the Mesubim police station, shot dead victims, and taken hostages.
Police underwent special training before the drills, police.
On Wednesday, outgoing Israel Police Insp.-Gen. David Cohen said, during a tour of the Ashdod police station, that his forces were ready for ”any possible scenario in the country.”
The current period was “sensitive due to the developments in the Middle East,” he said, referring to the uprising in Egypt.
Last month, the Border Police held a large exercise simulating security scenarios. In one simulation, forces raided a school in Rehovot that had been taken over by “terrorists.”