IDF Completes Large-Scale “Lion’s Roar” Drill in Judea and Samaria, Simulating Multi-Front Terror Attacks

The IDF announced Wednesday that it has completed a major multi-branch exercise in Judea and Samaria, named “Lion’s Roar,” involving the Judea and Samaria Division and the newly established 96th “Gilad” Division, which is responsible for securing the Jordanian border. The three-day drill, held this week, was the first in which two divisions of Central Command operated together, testing coordination and readiness under complex combat conditions.

According to the IDF, the exercise simulated more than 40 extreme scenarios and included participants from the Air Force, Operations Directorate, Military Intelligence, Shin Bet, Civil Administration, the IDF’s enemy simulation unit, command-level communications units, the Technology and Logistics Directorate, Magen David Adom, and the Israel Police. The training was conducted alongside ongoing counterterrorism operations across Judea and Samaria.

Among the simulated events were terrorist infiltrations into multiple communities, attacks on army posts, urban warfare, rescue of trapped civilians, medical evacuations under fire, and responses to mass-casualty incidents. One of the most complex scenarios involved a wave of terrorist infiltrations from the Jordanian border, with attackers using powered parachutes to drop explosives and launch coordinated killing and kidnapping attempts across the region.

“The exercise incorporated lessons learned from October 7,” the IDF said, “including the importance of immediate impact in the initial hours of fighting, rapid readiness, early airstrikes to disrupt attacks, deployment of special forces, and readiness of the entire IDF system.” The statement added that “the troops trained in cooperation with the Air Force providing aerial support to the ground forces, strengthening command and control during combat through inter-agency coordination.”

To improve real-time situational awareness, the Air Force expanded its control centers and integrated air reconnaissance officers from nearby communities to enhance air-ground coordination. A broad target bank was prepared for immediate strikes even under uncertain conditions, and new response protocols were set for troops deployed in the field.

“The IDF will continue to conduct regular exercises to ensure high readiness, strengthen cooperation among all units, and maintain the security of residents in the area and of all Israeli civilians,” the military said in its concluding statement.