Improvised weapon
Improvised terror weapons on the rise
Since beginning of 2016 Israeli security forces have discovered 13 lathes used to produce weapons used during wave of terror; Official: 'Lathes were sprouting up like mushrooms.'
Following the deadly terror shooting in Tel Aviv’s Sarona market
which left 4 dead and 16 wounded, Israeli security servces are once again forced to treat the phenomenon of improvised weapons as urgent.
Multiple lathes (machines used for shaping wood and metal) have been discovered in the West Bank, particularly in Hebron over the course of the new year.
Notwithstanding car-rammings and knife attacks, the present wave of terror has been characterized by the use of improvised guns - mainly the Carlo, a fake version of the original Carl Gustav - which can easily be produced using everyday materials.
According to information collected by the Judea and Samaria police and the IDF, since January 2016 alone, 13 lathes have been confiscated in the West Bank. This figure marks a stark increase when compared with the last three years during which only 5 were discovered and confiscated.
Improvised Palestinian weapon
Ten of the thirteen lathes were discovered in the Hebron area alone while the remaining three were discovered throughout the Samaria region. Moreover, since the beginning of the year, 161 weapons have been found and confiscated, 62 of which were improvised versions of the Carlo and the Carl Gustav.
In light of this intensified phenomenon, Israeli security agencies have undertaken strenuous efforts to disrupt this network weapons production.
The weapons ths far captured were done so during operations conducted by the IDF, which took place every night throughout the West Bank over recent months in an effort to quell the daily terror attacks.
As recently as last Thursday, two lathes were located in the Abu Dis area and in the Azria village near to Jerusalem. After sealing off the lathes, security forces also discovered explosives material nearby.
“The moment we realized that guns were finding their way into the hands of terror networks, we decided to act with a heavy hand,” a senior official explained.
“Lathes were sprouting like mushrooms in every narrow warehouse and even in bomb shelters of homes. It is difficult to ignore the money that goes to those who know to make these weapons and upgrade them.”
