Israeli police have added a new terror-fighting unit to their ranks – 15 bomb- sniffing dogs who will go to work to find explosives in public places.
The decision to establish a canine unit came in the wake of a recent wave of suicide bomb attacks launched inside Israel by militant Islamic groups opposed to the peace process.
The dogs took up their duties Sunday at Jerusalem’s mall, at the Machaneh Yehuda market and at the central bus station.
The dogs are due to begin work in Tel Aviv next week. They will later be stationed at other sites across the country.
The dogs and their handlers were trained in Virginia.
Israeli police officials chose Labrador retrievers for the bomb-detail because of their nonthreatening presence and their ability to work in crowds of people, Israel Television reported.
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