The Israel-Lebanon border area. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The IDF conducted a large-scale drill this past week that simulated potential ground incursions by elite Hezbollah forces into northern Israel during future conflicts, the Hebrew news site Walla reported on Sunday.

In such scenarios, the IDF believes the Iran-backed Shi’a terrorist group will use massive barrages of short-range fire to enable its fighters to cross the border from Lebanon into Israel, according to Walla.

“I very much respect Hezbollah, but we’ve honed our ability to take the sting out of them,” Col. Manny Liberty — the commander of the IDF’s 769th Brigade — told Walla. “We have a number of surprises waiting for Hezbollah.”

Referring to the current situation along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, Col. Liberty said, “Hezbollah is present all the time, it is not hiding in the rear. We are seeing more attempts to create provocations…but Hezbollah is very careful not to stretch the rope.”

“Hezbollah hasn’t finished its job in Syria [where it has been fighting on behalf of the Assad regime], but it also hasn’t abandoned its array in southern Lebanon,” Liberty noted.

This week, the IDF held a series of exercises in the Northern Command in order to prepare troops for various combat scenarios.
“We will continue to train and prepare to ensure the security of the residents of this region.” – Col. Manny Liberty, Commander of the 769th Brigade pic.twitter.com/8lP9y52N1v

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) February 22, 2018