Explosive belt (Archive photo)
Photo: IDF
Nablus: Terrorist caught with explosive belt
Following concrete warning, security forces manage to arrest terrorist in possession of explosive belt, which he planned to detonate in central Israeli city. Four group members also arrested
Terror attack in central Israel thwarted: A Haruv Battalion force on Saturday night arrested a Palestinian terrorists who planned to carry out a suicide bombing inside Israel.
The terrorist was captured in possession of an explosive belt weighing 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds).
Before the terrorist was captured Friday, the alert level in the Sharon region was raised following a concrete warning received by the Shin Bet on a plan to carry out a terror attack in the area.
The police set up roadblocks at the entrance to the cities of Kfar Saba, Petah Tikva and Rosh Haayin. Another roadblock was set up on Road 5. In addition, the Israel Defense Forces boosted its operation in the Nablus area.
During the operation in the area, soldiers began chasing two suspicious Palestinian taxis southwest of Nablus, in which the terrorists and four other Palestinians were riding. When the terrorists noticed the soldiers, he tried to get rid of the explosive belt and threw it out of the taxi window.
Border Guard sappers who were dispatched to the area detonated the belt in a controlled manner. At the end of the chase, the terrorist was arrested, as well as the rest of the group members. The five were taken into interrogation by security forces.
Senior officials at the Central Command said following the operation Saturday night, and following the ongoing fighting in the north, the the terror organizations were attempting to create a third fighting front opposite Israel in the West Bank area.
In the past three weeks, since the onset of the fighting in Lebanon, security forces have thwarted seven suicide bombings, most of them directed by Hizbullah.
