Underground - in the heart of Gaza: In recent weeks, IDF forces have raided the Issa area in southern Gaza City. As part of the ground operation, fighters of the Yiftah Brigade (11) and engineering forces destroyed a terrorist tunnel that served as an underground outpost and many buildings that served as Hamas headquarters.
Documentation of terrorist tunnel attacks under the Issa area // IDF Spokesperson
The fighters identified a terrorist squad that tried to attack the force and eliminated it in hand-to-hand combat. As part of the attacks on the Issa area, many terrorists from the Hamas terrorist organization were eliminated, along with many buildings used for terrorist activity and weapons that were destroyed.
For the first time in the war: sting dogs in tunnels
The combat team of the Paratroopers Brigade, which conducted battles in the area, located and exposed a number of shafts leading to a significant underground route.
Battalion Commander 5037 of the Yiftach Brigade, Lt. Col. (res.) Hanan: "We hit dozens of terrorists and we are determined to continue until victory" // IDF Spokesperson
Subsequently, fighters from the Yahalam unit and the Oketz unit investigated the underground route under the Issa outpost, which serves as an underground Hamas outpost.
This is a multi-level route whose floors were used for command, control and movement purposes between different sectors, for storage and stay. After researching using a variety of technological means and in cooperation with the engineering forces of the 99th Division, the fighters destroyed the underground route.
A terrorist tunnel hundreds of meters long and Hamas command rooms: documentation of IDF activity in Issa,
Battalion Commander 5037 of the Yiftach Brigade (11), Lt. Col. (res.) Hanan: "For the past two weeks the battalion has been reinforced by armored forces, and since then we have been vigorously hitting enemy infrastructure and the enemy itself."
Lt. Col. (res.) Hanan added: "We have hit dozens of terrorists and we are here on the most moral mission we could have received and we will not return home until we finish. We are a strong battalion with strong soldiers and we will continue until victory."
Documentation of IDF forces in Issa, southern Gaza City, photo: IDF Spokesperson
In addition, today the IDF is distributing footage from a dog camera from the Merom Brigade's Oketz unit, revealing a terror tunnel hundreds of meters long, which includes command and communication rooms, dozens of meters in residence halls, concrete panels, and water and electricity infrastructure.
For the First Time in War: IDF Reveals Operation of Sting Dogs Underground // IDF Spokesperson
So far in the fighting, dozens of tunnels have been searched by the unit's fighters and dogs, and found artifacts enabling the forces to enter the tunnels.
Oketz Unit Company Commander, Capt. (Res.) A.: "For the first time in the war, we are exposing the operation of Oketz Unit dogs along an underground route. The unit serves as a force multiplier in order to provide intelligence on enemy tunnels – at the same time, bringing in dogs before our forces enter for the sake of securing human life."
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