TEL AVIV, Israel - The IDF Home Front Command in concert with the Israeli Airports Authority is holding a wide-scale emergency preparedness exercise on Tuesday at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

The exercise, which begins at noon and is scheduled to end around 10 this evening, includes IDF security forces and the Israel Police units.

Tuesday's exercise is not connected to the attempted terror attack on Christmas eve by Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

The drill is part of the army's annual training program, the IDF Spokesperson's Office stated in a press release.

On Monday, al-Qaeda operatives based in Yemen and Saudi Arabia claimed responsibility for last week's bungled terror attack, saying they had manufactured the explosives Abdulmutallab carried on board.

Israel, of necessity, has developed one of the most highly honed and respected airport security systems in the world.