Roi Tov: Columnist: IDF Offensive Redeployment Amid Syrian Fire!

On July 16, 2013, at least 25 mortars landed next to an Israeli stronghold near Quneitra on the Golan Heights. Astonishing images published by Israeli media show that the IDF has been redeployed in an offensive pattern. Towing Crows: The extraordinary picture above is one of them. In the background, one can spot a plume of smoke rising from the mortars' hit. Next to it, one can see the entry to a stronghold viewpoint, featuring a protected access. The two soldiers are standing on the roof of a stronghold defense position. Everything beyond the stronghold is Syria. The mortars are secondary. The soldiers at the front of the picture are the real news. The two soldiers are manipulating an orev "crow" in Hebrew, also can be translated as ambusher, someone making an ambush missile. But that is an American TOW, many readers are exclaiming by now. As recently commented in First Super Hercules Delivered to IAF, Israel doesn't buy key equipment from the shelf. It always demands upgrades and changes. Sometimes, equipment is further upgraded by the IDF. The modified equipment is then re-baptised. The result offers what in the IDF is called field security. A captured IDF soldier will be able to spell out the new code names but would be unable to link it to the original equipment or to state how the equipment was modified. He never saw the original. American TOWs became IDF's Orvim, the crows' blackness camouflaging all links to the original item. Practically all IDF brigades have an anti-tank company, more often than not equipped with TOWs. They can be used in a defensive deployment of the unit, but not in this case. This is what makes the image extraordinary. Look at the shoe of the soldier. It is red, identifying him as a paratrooper. In other words, the huliya, joint, vertebra, link, a squad of two or three soldiers belongs to the Paratroopers Brigade Anti-Tank Company. Considered an almost elite unit, they are offensive in nature. In battle, they move ahead of their exclusive brigade, clearing the ground of tanks and other armored vehicles. Bah, they are ant-killers, they walk everywhere, it means nothing, I told myself. Then, I noticed the second image. IDF Tank Overlooking Quneitra. The tank is within a stronghold. A few days ago, in Key IDF Rearrangement Announced, I commented on the redeployment of the IDF forces on the Golan. Specifically, that Division 366 will take over the strongholds line and Division 36, while the IDF heaviest and largest regular division will become one of the five multi-theatre division of the army. Division 36 is an armored one, it has many tanks on the Golan. Yet, I have spent over two years in the area, know all the IDF strongholds and never, but absolutely never, have seen a tank within a stronghold in an attack position. Its cannon can easily reach Quneitra. IDF redeployed into an offensive pattern. Golan on Fire: Finally, the third picture shows the fire caused by the mortars. They didn't hit the stronghold, but they set on fire the adjacent minefield. At the time these lines were written, no serious damages were reported.