The National Mine Action Authority on Tuesday carried out controlled detonations of three minefields along the Israel-Jordan border, as part of the construction of the eastern border barrier that began about a month ago. In total, around 500 old anti-tank mines, laid in the area since the late 1960s, were destroyed.
Alongside the work on the ground, the Defense Ministry and the IDF are continuing to plan the next sections of the project, while finalizing the overall defense concept for the border and the means required to secure it. Strengthening national security and Israel's strategic hold along the eastern frontier is a central component of the Defense Ministry's strategy, being advanced by Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram.
Video: Mine clearance operations along the eastern border /// Defense Ministry Spokesperson's Unit
The effort is part of a revised security doctrine developed by the IDF and Central Command, under which a new regional division has been established. The division is responsible for security in the Jordan Valley, the surrounding valleys and the Dead Sea area.
The total cost of the project is estimated at about 5.5 billion shekels, roughly $1.7 billion. It includes the construction of a multilayered security system along approximately 500 kilometers, stretching from south of the Golan Heights to the Samar sands north of Eilat.
