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Yamam

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The Yamam (Hebrew: ימ"מ, an acronym for Centralized Special Unit יחידה מרכזית מיוחדת‎, Yeḥida Merkazit Meyuḥedet), also called in Hebrew היחידה המיוחדת ללוחמה בטרור‎ and Israel's National Counter Terror Unit (I.N.C.T.U.) in English, is Israel's national counter-terrorism unit, one of four special units of the Israel Border Police. The Yamam is capable of both hostage-rescue operations and offensive take-over raids against terrorist targets in civilian areas. Besides military and counter-terrorism duties, it also performs SWAT duties and undercover police work.

Centralized Special Unit / Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit
YAMAM ימ"מ
Yamam officers in full gear during raid training, armed with M4A1 rifles and operating police dog (K9)
Active1974–present
Country Israel
AgencyIsraeli Police
TypePolice tactical unit
RoleDomestic counter-terrorism, hostage rescue and law enforcement
Part ofIsrael Border Police
Mottoאֶרְדּוֹף אוֹיְבַי וְאַשִּׂיגֵם, וְלֹא אָשׁוּב עַד כַּלּוֹתָם
Structure
Operators~ 200 officers
Notables
Significant operation(s)First Intifada
Second Intifada

History

 
YAMAM operators in a special visit by Israeli officials, 2017
 
YAMAM snipers with Barrett MRAD and ghillie suits during a counter-terror/hostage-rescue demonstration in the Israeli Border Police's training base.

The Yamam was established in late 1974 after the Ma'alot massacre, where a failed rescue operation by special forces units resulted in the murder of 21 schoolchildren before the hostage takers were killed. Since hostage rescue tactics in friendly territory differ from those used in hostile areas, it was decided to establish an elite civilian force which develops and practices a special CQB (Close Quarters Battles) doctrine for counter-terrorism operations in friendly territory and hostage rescue.

Operational record after the Second Intifada

Operational record during Operation Breakwater (2022-2023)

Video from the helmet camera of YAMAM operator.
  • On April 2, 2022, YAMAM operators killed 3 Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, on their way to commit a terrorist attack. In the firefight, a YAMAM section commander was critically wounded in action, but his life was saved by YAMAM paramedic Noam Raz.[3]
  • On August 19, 2022, YAMAM operators killed Ibrahim a-Naboulsi, a commander of the Lions' Den terror cell. The operators launched MATADOR shoulder-fired missile into the apartment he was barricading in Nablus. Two armed terrorists were also killed in that raid. A YAMAM police dog was killed in action.[4][5]
  • On October 25, 2022, the YAMAM lead a combined raid (with the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet) on the Lions' Den headquarter and bomb lab in the heart of Nablus. 5 terrorists, including commanders in the Lions' Den, were killed in the fight and the bomb lab was destroyed.[6]
  • On January 26, 2023, YAMAM lead a combined raid (with the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet) on Jenin refugee camp, which the IDF said was targeted against members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad who were planning an attack. Nine Palestinians were killed in the attack, including an unarmed civilian.[7]

Honors and awards

 
YAMAM snipers shooting with suppressed Barrett MRAD sniper weapon systems.
  • In October 2010, the Yamam won the "Urban Shield" SWAT competition held by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office setting a new record in the competition.[8]
  • In October 2011, the Yamam won the "Urban Shield" SWAT competition held by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office for the second consecutive year.[9]
  • In 2011, the Yamam won first place in a shooting competition between snipers from various Israeli special police and commando units.[10]

The unit received number of honor citations (TZALASH, ציון לשבח) from the Commissioner of the Israeli Police: 2011[11] 2014,[12] 2016,[13] ,2020[14] and 2022.[15]

In 2022 the unit received an honor citation from the Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff (צל"ש הרמטכ"ל) for their fighting during Operation Breakwater.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Harel, Amos (May 23, 2006). "IDF arrests most-wanted Hamas bomb mastermind in West Bank". Haaretz. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  2. ^ Report in ynet (Hebrew), 2014-04-23.
  3. ^ יהושוע, יוסי; אל-חי, ליאור (April 2, 2022). "מפקד הפלגה הוותיק מהימ"מ נפצע קשה בחיסול המחבלים: "עם ישראל חייב לו הרבה"". Ynet.
  4. ^ "N12 - המחבל איבראהים א-נאבולסי חוסל על ידי לוחמי צה"ל וימ"מ בשכם". August 9, 2022.
  5. ^ זיתון, יואב; קימון, אלישע בן (August 9, 2022). "3 שעות קרב בלב הקסבה: טילי מטאדור שוגרו למבנה שבו שהה המחבל". Ynet.
  6. ^ קימון, אלישע בן; חלבי, עינב (October 24, 2022). "מבצע לילי בלב שכם: הושמדה מעבדת המטענים של גוב האריות, 5 חמושים נהרגו". Ynet.
  7. ^ "Nine Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in Jenin clash". The Irish Times.
  8. ^ "Everyone wins at Urban Shield 2010". PoliceOne.com. October 20, 2010.
  9. ^ "The Yamam wins the Urban Shield 2011". Israel Hayom. November 2, 2011.
  10. ^ Doron, Yaron (September 5, 2011). "Shooting contest: Police 1, IDF 0". Ynetnews – via www.ynetnews.com.
  11. ^ מחלקים עיטורים: המשטרה עושה כבוד לימ"מ (Hebrew), ynet, 2011-04-06.
  12. ^ Announcement in the Israeli Police website, 2014.
  13. ^ ‏התפרסמה רשימת מקבלי העיטורים והצל"שים של משטרת ישראל (Hebrew), Israel HaYom, 2016.
  14. ^ מפקד הימ"מ: הקורונה מעסיקה את המשטרה, ואנחנו נלחמים בפשיעה (Hebrew), Walla!, November 2020.
  15. ^ "טקס הענקת עיטורים וציונים לשבח במשטרת ישראל 2022".
  16. ^ https://www.idf.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%93%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D/2022/%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A8/%D7%A6%D7%9C%D7%A9-%D7%A6%D7%9C%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%98%D7%9B%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%98%D7%9B%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A8-%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%99%D7%97%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%92%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%98%D7%9B%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9E-%D7%93%D7%95%D7%91%D7%93%D7%91%D7%9F-%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%AA%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%91-%D7%90%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A9-%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A3/

Further reading

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to YAMAM.
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