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Sirens sounded across Israel as part of a civil defense exercise.

Marking the high-point of an almost week-long drill to simulate large-scale enemy attacks or natural disasters, sirens sounded in Israeli communities at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Civil servants and schoolchildren were guided to bomb shelters for the duration of the test, which assumes that in a future war with countries such as Iran or Syria, the entire Jewish state would be vulnerable to missile salvos.

The siren did not sound in Sderot, Askelon and other communities bordering Gaza.

While primarily intended for emergencies, Israeli public sirens are also used to announce annual moments of silence in memory of fallen soldiers and Holocaust victims.

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