IDF, Prison Service, and Air Force Conduct First-Ever Large-Scale Terror Attack Drill at Negev Prison

For the first time in the region, the Israeli Defense Forces' Bardelas Battalion, Prison Service units, and Air Force Squadron 123 conducted a large-scale joint exercise simulating a terror attack on a prison. The drill, held last week in the Paran Brigade area of the western Negev, involved hundreds of soldiers and officers responding to a complex scenario of armed militants breaching the Lavi Prison in Halutza Sands, alongside a mass casualty event and a daring attempt to free security prisoners under fire.

The exercise began with an early morning report of militants infiltrating the prison, followed by a simultaneous second infiltration in a nearby agricultural area. The forces had to neutralize three terrorist squads that entered Israeli territory, deploying extensive search units to eliminate threats. Upon returning to the prison, the teams faced a mass casualty incident involving about ten injured individuals, requiring rapid medical triage and evacuation with support from Air Force helicopters.

Later in the drill, the forces rehearsed a severe scenario of militants penetrating deep into the prison to attempt a prisoner breakout. Due to the area being declared sealed and the difficult ground access, air teams were dispatched to airlift reinforcements directly into the prison complex. This critical coordination between air and ground units included the first use of newly established emergency landing zones designed for such situations.

The exercise tested the joint security apparatus's rapid response capabilities to extreme multi-front threats, emphasizing command, control, cooperation, and synchronization among the organizations. This preparedness comes amid a complex security environment marked by ongoing threats, including recent significant events such as the release of Jibril Zubeidi, a senior Fatah figure and brother of notorious militant Zakaria Zubeidi, who was freed after three years of administrative detention.

Additionally, Israel continues close security cooperation with the United States, with Defense Minister Israel Katz revealing that American fighter jets operate from Israeli bases to conduct strikes in Iran, a deterrent factor against Iranian aggression. The joint drill underscores the recognition that prisons and civilian areas could become active combat zones during multi-front attacks, ensuring the security forces are ready for even the most extreme scenarios.