JNS
The move comes after a Tehran-directed assassination attempt against him was thwarted.
The commander of the Nevatim Airbase near Beersheva in southern Israel was placed under increased security after an assassination plot against him was thwarted, Iran International reported on Monday.
Israel's Channel 12 later identified him as Brig. Gen. Yotam Sigler.
An Israeli security source told the Iranian opposition-aligned media outlet that the heightened security measures are "not standard procedure for everyone—only those with a threat on them, such as the chief of staff [and] the Air Force chief, but now they put security on him and his family, as he was exposed.”
Sigler was one of the targets of a group of seven Israeli Jews, including two minors aged 16 and 17, as well as a father and son, who have been in custody since September on suspicion of serious espionage for Iran in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The suspects are Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sadikov, Yigal Nisan, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Yevgeny Yoffe and two minors. They are all Israeli Jews who immigrated from Azerbaijan.
From the investigation, it emerged that the seven carried out between 600 and 700 espionage missions for Iran over the course of two years. They documented sensitive security facilities, military bases and human targets, the most recent of whom were Sigler and his son.
The seven are expected to be charged with aiding the enemy during wartime, an offense punishable by death or life imprisonment.
According to investigators, in the Iranian attack that took place on Oct. 1, the Islamic Republic fired ballistic missiles across Israel toward targets that the seven had documented, including the Nevatim and Ramat David Airbases and the Mossad headquarters in Glilot. Additionally, it was revealed that after the missile attack, the seven were sent by Iran to check the accuracy of the hits and damage caused, for future improvements.
Netavim sustained minor damage during last month's barrage from Iran of nearly 200 ballistic missiles aimed at the Jewish state, and was also lightly damaged in April's Iranian attack of 300 missiles and drones.
“The commander is a very wanted target because Nevatim is in itself so strong a target for Iran. It’s not just fighters; it’s intelligence; it’s multi-disciplinary. [It's] a strategic base,” the source said.
