Israel's army has begun using Russian immigrant soldiers who are veterans of fighting in Chechnya as snipers to guard Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories.
The unit, dubbed the "Immigrant Legion", was created recently by recruiting several dozen Russian-born men aged 40 and over who were too old to qualify for reserve duty but had volunteered to serve in semi-official security squads, Israeli military sources said.
The Israel army declined to comment.Security sources said the volunteers included veterans of the Russian army's fight against rebels in the Chechen region.
"These guys fought in Chechnya, but when they got to Israel they were considered too old for the draft," a security source said. "Eventually the military found their sharpshooter training - and their dedication - too good to ignore."
Snipers play a key role in Israel's ground forces operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where Palestinian militants are spearheading a nearly three-year-old uprising for independence.
They have been used in track-and-kill operations against militants and to protect settlements and border areas. Palestinians have accused Israeli snipers at times of targeting unarmed civilians and protesters. Israel denies this.