An Arab male was taken into custody on Tuesday morning, south of Shechem not far from the Chawarah Checkpoint. He was found to be carrying two pipe bombs, a makeshift gun, ammunition and at least one firebomb.

When the 18-year-old terrorist was seen near the Shomron Battalion Command close to 6:00am, soldiers from the 202nd Paratroop Battalion felt he appeared suspicious. They decided to act on their suspicions.The suspect was taken into custody and turned over to the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) for interrogation.

In actuality, the location at which the terrorist was spotted was once the venue of a checkpoint, permitting soldiers to search residents of PA (Palestinian Authority) occupied Shechem in the hope of preventing them from traveling with weapons and/or explosives, but the checkpoint was one of the many removed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The senior minister explained the gesture was intended to show PA residents good will, facilitating their travels throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

Gershon Mesika, who heads the Shomron Regional Council,the area in which the terrorist was apprehended, stated that had it not been for the soldiers the terrorist could easily have made his way to the center of the country, a close distance, and then he could have perpetrated his attack.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)