Sayeret (original) (raw)

Sayeret (Hebrew סיירת, pl. sayarot) means "reconnaissance company". Combat brigades in the Israel Defense Forces usually have a company with improved weaponry that is used to reinforce the brigade's regular forces. Although the sayarot are mostly oriented at battlefield support (which is their raison d'être), many have participated in special operations during recent years.

The Sayeret Matkal is a special operations unit of the IDF. It is a designated deep reconnaissance unit but it also has counter-terrorist responsibilites. The unit is modelled on the British SAS. It is best known for Operation Entebbe, in which they rescued more than 100 AirFrance airline passengers hijacked to Uganda by PLO terrorists.

The Sayeret Yaalom (formerly Sayeret Yael) is a special elite Combat engineering unit. It is specialized in accurate demolitions and planting pinpoint explosives.

The Shayetet 13 is the Israeli naval commando.