The IDF conducted an unexpected drill near the Lebanese border in the North on Monday, a day after the IDF assassinated Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.
Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s second in command, was killed in a strike on Beirut. Before his death, he was responsible for heading Hezbollah’s military apparatus.
Alongside the military drill, the IDF has heightened the alert level of its forces on the Lebanese border over concerns that Hezbollah could exploit winter weather and reduced visibility caused by fog and heavy rain to carry out an attack.
“The General Staff exercise ‘Shield and Might’ began today, Monday, in the early morning hours and will continue over the next two days. Its purpose is to examine and improve the IDF’s readiness for a variety of scenarios,” the IDF spokesperson’s office said.
Eyal Zamir orders surprise IDF readiness drill
According to the army, “Under the instruction of the IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the drill opened with the activation of a chief of staff test in a surprise format to examine the readiness of the 210th Division for a sudden erupting incident.”
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit warned that during the drill, intensive troop movement will be felt in the Golan and surrounding areas. Residents may hear sounds related to explosions, aircraft, and other aerial equipment.