Exercise tests emergency response to biological attack

Minitry of Defense's "Orange Flame 6" exercise unconnected to recent Iran threats, says Colonel Aberjil.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, BENJAMIN SPIER
Orange Flame 6 311 (photo credit: Benjamin Spier)
Orange Flame 6 311
(photo credit: Benjamin Spier)
Hospitals in the North participated Wednesday in the Ministry of Defense's "Orange Flame 6" exercise, simulating a biological attack. The exercise, which began at 7 a.m., included the simulation of the spread of a contagious disease, and tested emergency response to the outbreak.
Colonel Avi Aberjil of the home-front command explained to The Jerusalem Post that while terrorists have never attempted to use bio-terror in Israel, such an attack might cause catastrophic outcomes.
"The terrorists are looking for a place where there are a lot of people, like shopping malls. They are silently spreading some germ that might affect people, to cause some illness in the population. That’s how bioterrorism works.’
When asked about the timing of the drill , Aberjil asserted that it had nothing to do with recent threat of war with Iran.  "It’s a routine exercise. We are doing the same thing every year around November. It has nothing to do with any specific threats."