In a historic first, Israel deployed women soldiers in the offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. It was a combat intelligence battalion including women IDF fighters that made advancements into southern Lebanon several weeks ago to achieve the histric first, army sources told the media.
IDF broke the news of the operation involving female combatants after the unit safely made it back after the operation. Many of the women fighters who joined the mission were in their early 20s, reports suggest.
The order for the deployment of the combat intelligence battalion inside southern Lebanon was given by Northern Command chief Major-General Ori Gordin, The Jerusalem Post said in a report.
One of the combatants who was part of the mission told The Jerusalem Post that they successfully entered areas untouched by the IDF forces since the Second Lebanon War of 2006.
IDF's combat intelligence battalion is Lebanon war
According to Israeli media reports, the combat intelligence battalion, consisting of female soldiers, had been stationed near the Syrian border and in the Mount Dov region ever since the war broke out.
The battalion's primary responsibility is intelligence gathering. They are tasked with spotting Hezbollah operatives and their hideouts. Tank units on the ground and the Israeli Air Force depend on these inputs to bring down targets -- mostly buildings. The unit always keeps tabs on Hezbollah activities and holds an ever-updating chart of targets, both individuals and infrastructure.
Female Israel soldiers's operation in Lebanon: As it happened
After having succesfully completed several such missions, the IDF tasked the women with an important intelligence gathering mission. This time, however, they were asked to infiltrate enemy territory. The primary objective was to gather as much intelligence as possible on targets in the area without giving away their location, a 21-year-old corporal, who was part of the team, told media back at home.
Carrying observation equipment, weapons, and other heavy supplies that weighed almost half their body weight, the female operatives moved slightly less than two kilometers into Lebanon on foot, the Corporal told TJP. Since it was vital to remain undetected, they were not airdropped or supported by vehicles, she explained.
Thrilling details of a daring military operation
Trekking and sometimes crawling to avoid detection, the IDF women established a position in a field close to the targets. They maintained camouflage while deploying the heavy equipment on their shoulders to gather intelligence "near a village with known Hezbollah activity". They took vital photographs of Hezbollah's anti-tank missile sites and hideout buildings in the area. They confirmed exact coordinates for the colleagues to later launch pinpoint strikes.
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While they were tasked to remain in the area for at least 24 hours, the mission was cut short by 12 hours as a fire broke out in the area. Taking no chance, the seniors asked the young women to fall back to safety. Again, they had to cover the distance on foot and had to retreat through dense vegetation, TJP quoted a soldier in the team as saying.
Did they accomplish the mission?
According to the IDF, the mission was a roaring success. The Hezbollah anti-tank missile sites and shelter buildings soon came under heavy guided tank fire, purely based on cordinates and photographs gathered by the unit. IDF helicopters reduced to rubble some of the buildings in the village that were used to store weapons by the Iran-backed outfit, the report added.