The work of the IDF’s Bedouin trackers has led to the arrests of hundreds of terrorists; now they’re training to prevent future attacks

They can tell from the angle of a footprint that an explosive is in the area. When a suspect is on the run, they can pinpoint his location in minutes. The soldiers of the Bedouin Scouting Unit stand on the front lines of Israel’s battle against terror.

The highly honed skills of the IDF’s Bedouin trackers play a crucial role in the State of Israel’s security.

Last week, three brigades of the Scouting Unit participated in a major exercise in Yehuda and Shomron. This training prepared the trackers to operate in one of Israel’s most dangerous regions, which in the past year has seen a rise in terror attacks on civilian centers and IDF soldiers.

Captain Bader Said, a senior IDF tracker, led soldiers through a five-kilometer course designed to simulate major threats. The drill trained the scouts to follow suspects for long distances. Footprints guided them through a diverse terrain, bringing them to mock explosives hidden deep in the grass.

Cpt. Said, a veteran of military service in Yehuda and Shomron, is intimately familiar with the region’s dangers.

“The threat level is rising all the time,” he said, recalling a handful of incidents in the past month. “Two weeks ago, my soldiers found an armed suspect. Then a week ago, my soldiers found an explosive device on the way to an [Israeli] community.”

“There are constantly incidents,” another veteran tracker commented. “We respond to explosives, shootings on the main roads, home invasions, firebombs on IDF positions and infiltrators cutting through security fences.”

A history of defending Israel

Like many Bedouin trackers, Cpt. Said developed scouting skills as a child. This knowledge, combined with IDF training, has helped him hunt criminals and prevent attacks in Yosh.

Said was part of the IDF force ambushed during the 2002 Shabbat massacre, in which Arab terrorists killed 12 of his comrades. In addition, he helped locate the terrorists responsible for the massacre of the Fogel family HY”D in Itamar, a town in Samaria.

Bedouin soldiers have fought in the IDF’s ranks as trackers since Israel’s War of Independence. Despite the dangers of their work, today’s Bedouin scouts value their contributions to the IDF. Whereas most soldiers are required to serve in the military, nearly all of the trackers serve as volunteers.

“I volunteer because I want to protect my country,” one soldier said. Another scout said his service could lead to a successful career, helping him work in law enforcement or a related field.

“When I tell people what I do, and what I did in the past, it gives me a sense of purpose,” Cpt. Said stated. “We are the ones who respond to every incident. We are the ones who need to be ready.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Office)