The IDF has significantly boosted security for senior officers and official
military delegations traveling overseas in recent months, amid intelligence that
Iran and Hezbollah are plotting attacks against such targets, a senior IDF
officer revealed on Thursday.
News of the increase in security comes
following a recent wave of attempted bombing attacks that Iran and Hezbollah are
believed to have tried to carry out in Thailand, Georgia, India and Azerbaijan.
All of the plots were foiled except a bombing in New Delhi that injured the wife
of a Defense Ministry official stationed in the Israeli Embassy.
“The
threat has significantly increased over the past half-a-year,” the senior
officer said. “There seems to be – as recent attempts have shown – an increase
in motivation to carry out such an attack.”
In the IDF, the Operations
Directorate is responsible for the security of senior officers and military
delegations in Israel and abroad. For this purpose, the directorate operates a
special unit of bodyguards – known as the General Staff Security Unit – to
protect senior officers and delegations.
“We are aware of this threat and
take all of the necessary precautions,” the officer said, adding that in some
cases the IDF even cancels officer trips to specific countries due to
intelligence about potential Hezbollah or Iranian activity
there.
Hezbollah is believed to be attempting to attack Israel in order
to avenge the 2008 assassination of its military commander Imad Mughniyeh, who
was killed in a car bombing in Damascus that was attributed to the
Mossad.
Iran is also believed to be actively seeking revenge for the
assassination of a number of nuclear scientists over the past two
years.
“It is not limited just to Iran and Hezbollah – but also Hamas,
Islamic Jihad and Global Jihad elements would view an attack against an IDF
officer or delegation overseas a success,” the officer said.
While
Mughniyeh was held in high regard within Hezbollah, the Israeli defense
establishment believes that there are other motives behind Hezbollah and Iran’s
desire to attack Israel overseas.
One of the motives is understood to be
part of Iranian efforts to deter the West from launching a military strike
against its nuclear facilities by showing the world that together with its main
proxy – Hezbollah – it can strike anywhere it wants, even as far as India and
Thailand.
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