IDF troops Hebron 22.9.13 370.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
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After seven grueling months of service in Hebron, Capt. Dvir Alami, 26, feels
confident his unit is leaving the area safer than when it arrived.
Alami
commands the Support Company of the Rotem Battalion, which is a part of the
Givati infantry Brigade.
He and his soldiers carry out a range of
specialized combat functions, many of which are classified.
Support
Companies are trained to be more deadly in battle, carry heavier equipment than
other infantry units, and cover a wider area, thereby serving their entire
battalion.
The company was at the forefront of the IDF’s response to a
recent upsurge in Palestinian rioting and terror attacks that washed over the
West Bank.
In September, the unit lost St.-Sgt.
Gal Kobi, who was shot
dead by a sniper in Hebron while guarding the Jewish Quarter during the High
Holy holidays.
“It’s no secret that the Judea and Samaria area heated up
recently,” Alami told
The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
“Kobi joined the
company to help us carry out our mission. The shooting happened in our sector.
We were the first to treat him. My command post gave him first aid, and sent out
the first search mission to look for the terrorists responsible. It was a very
sad incident. Our soldiers saw their friend die in their arms,” Alami
said.
As part of the IDF’s response to the violence, Alami’s company
carried out many security raids and surprise checks, searching for weapons among
Palestinians.
In recent weeks, they uncovered two bombs and a large
quantity of firearms – weapons Alami said could have been used in the West Bank,
or deep inside Israel.
“We stopped several terror attacks. We don’t know
if the weapons were intended for use in Jerusalem, or roads in Judea and
Samaria. But they were in the wrong hands, and would have been used with bad
intentions,” he said.
The Support Company carried out three times as many
security missions as other units in Hebron, and, according to the Judea Regional
Brigade, played a key role in reducing the security threat.
“Roads that
were once the scene of shooting and rock attacks have been quiet for months
now,” Alami said. “We’re leaving with the sense that things are quieter than
when we arrived.”
The Rotem Battalion departed Hebron in recent days, and
was replaced with a Nahal infantry battalion, as part of the IDF’s rotation
system.
Alami’s company is currently stationed on the Golan Heights,
where it is holding combat drills, the nature of which cannot be
disclosed.
“We’re getting ready for all scenarios,” Alami said. “It
doesn’t matter whether the [battle] arena in question is southern or northern,”
he said.
The commander conceded that the change of scenery is also a
chance for his soldiers to take a breather. “After a long operational stint, we
can breath a little, without the tension and daily friction we experienced in
Hebron,” he said.
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