A series of tests recently carried out by the IDF has confirmed that Israel’s new barrier on the border with Syria is missile proof.

Israeli Syrian border in the Golan Heights – Photo: REUTERS/Baz Ratner

The test was carried out by the Golan Brigade, under the command of Col. Arik Hen, to test the the five-meter border barrier’s ability to withstand a direct missile strike, as well as small arms fire.

It came as part of a wider initiative by the army to beef up its defenses along the border with Syria, in light of the ongoing civil war in Syria and the growth of radical jihadi organizations.

“The purpose of the experiment is to enable us to understand what the weak spots and the advantages of the fence are,” Col. Hen said.

The new barrier is designed to prevent the infiltration of terrorists from Syria. After the missile test, soldiers simulated an ambush by terrorists on a patrol, forcing the patrol members to cross the barrier to engage the ‘attackers.

Hen said most of the anticipated border incidents will be dealt with by the patrol force on the scene, which is not expected to wait for back-up infantry or tanks in the first stages of an attack.

Other simulated scenarios included an exchange of cross-border fire.

“In the event of an attack on our forces, the impact [of the enemy’s fire] is far less significant due to the fence. The damage from a missile fired at a vehicle travelling along the fence is decreased. In the event of an engagement, our forces have no problem positioning their vehicles to protect them as they fire on the enemy,” Hen added.

The Syria border fence is surrounded by high barbed wire and ditches. It is equipped with electronic surveillance capabilities and patrolled by Combat Intelligence Collection units to allow for an early warning in case of an attack.

Once patrolled by reservists, the Syrian border is now patrolled by conscripted infantry soldiers, and in greater numbers than the past.

Soldiers from the Nahal infantry brigade, who are currently deployed in the North, also held a battle drill recently on Mount Hermon, also on the Syrian border.

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/IDF-test-finds-new-Syria-border-barrier-is-missile-proof-327951