IDF, Border Guard thwart attack near Yitzhar
Troops open fire at Palestinian spotted advancing towards West Bank settlement with Molotov cocktail, find knife concealed on his person. Police investigating possible connection to stabbing of nine-year-old boy last week
IDF and Border Guard police forces thwarted a terror attack near the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar on Saturday morning.
A subsequent search of his body revealed a knife and other tools concealed on his person, which defense officials say were meant to aid him in breaking into the settlement.
Palestinians say the deceased is 15-year-old Suhib Salah, a resident of Asira al-Kabaliya. They say Salah's brother was killed near the same settlement and under the same circumstances in 2002.
The body was transferred by the IDF to the Red Crescent, and later to the Rafidya hospital in Nablus. Palestinian security sources told Ynet that at present time they cannot confirm whether the youth was indeed armed with a knife. They added that there is no testimony corroborating the army's version of the events, or that he was killed near Yitzhar.
IDF units have spread out in the area as a precaution, to ensure he did not have an accomplice.
Police forensic teams are investigating whether the Palestinian is connected to the terrorist who infiltrated the settlement last week and stabbed a nine-year-old boy after setting fire to a building in the Shalhevet neighborhood. The previous attack also occured early Saturday morning.
Violent riots erupted between settlers and Palestinian residents of the nearby village of Asira al-Kabaliya following the incident.
