IDF continues to assist rescue services in battling Jerusalem-area fires

The IDF says it continues to provide rescue services with assistance as major fires continue to burn in the Jerusalem area.

Four Israeli Air Force C-130J Super Hercules heavy transport planes operated throughout the night, dropping over 95 loads of fire retardant material, the military says. The IAF also sent ground firefighting teams.

More than 50 fire engines were also provided by the Home Front Command and Technological and Logistics Directorate. The Home Front Command also drafted reservist firefighters to assist with the efforts.

The Technological and Logistics Directorate also provided more than 300,000 liters of water, along with equipment and food for the firefighting teams. The directorate also set up three rest stops for the troops and other rescue forces.

Additionally, the military says that overnight it used dozens of heavy construction vehicles to prevent the fires from spreading.

The Military Intelligence Directorate is also assisting, with its Unit 9900, which specializes in VISINT, or visual intelligence, carrying out several aircraft and satellite sorties over the fires to map out the main blaze sites.

The Israeli Air Intelligence Group — the IAF’s intel unit — set up a taskforce to analyze the blazes, and the Intelligence Directorate’s Operational Operations Division “is synchronizing a variety of resources to help analyze the area of the fires and direct fire and rescue forces,” the IDF adds.