Philippine Army troops to train under Israeli Defense Forces

Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus (right), the head of the Israeli Defense Forces delegation, meets with Army chief Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto on June 18, 2019. PHOTO from Philippine Army

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly 200 soldiers of the Philippine Army will undergo counter-terrorism training under the Israeli Defense Forces later this month.

The training is set for June 26 to July 4 at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala told reporters Tuesday.

A total of 180 soldiers from various units of the Army, including the 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 9th Infantry Divisions as well as the Special Forces Regiment, Scout Ranger Regiment, and Light Reaction Regiment will participate in the training.

Around 10 soldiers of the Israeli Defense Force will conduct the training, the first collaboration of its kind for the Philippines and Israel.

“Terrorism right now is ever present, so it’s important that we constantly learn and constantly take cues from other countries. Although they have different experiences, there are similarities, so it’s important that we establish a methodology on how to go about our anti-terrorism and combat techniques,” Zagala said.

Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfus, the head of the Israeli Defense Forces delegation, paid a courtesy call to Army chief Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto on Monday.

The two exchanged views on terrorism and expressed interest to learn from each other’s experiences in fighting terror threats, Zagala said. (Editor: Eden Estopace)