Hawara checkpoint (archive photo)
Photo: Reuters
IDF soldiers thwart terror attack
Palestinian teen caught at West Bank checkpoint with two explosive devices weighing 1.5 kilos each
Two explosive devices weighing 1.5 kilos each (about 3.3 pounds) were found by IDF soldiers Saturday during a routine search of a Palestinian teen’s belongings at the Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus in the West Bank.
Border Guard sappers dispatched to the scene conducted a controlled-detonation of the devices, and the 16-year-old Palestinian was taken in for interrogation by Israeli security forces.
It remains unclear whether the teen was supposed to transfer the devices to someone else or carry out a terror attack on his own.
Palestinian sources said he is a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, Fatah’s armed wing.
IDF forces operating in the Nablus area have discovered seven explosive devices and three explosive belts since the beginning of the year.
A month ago a Palestinian was caught by IDF soldiers manning the Hawara checkpoint with a 10-centimeter (about 4 inches) knife, and in January a Palestinian was detained after attempting to cross the checkpoint with a makeshift grenade, two Molotov cocktails and a knife.
Ali Waked contributed to the report
