An attempt to smuggle dozens of weapons from Jordan into Israel was foiled Thursday night after IDF surveillance soldiers spotted two suspects crossing eastward from Israeli territory into Jordan. They later returned carrying bags. Forces dispatched to the area following the sighting arrested the two and found 35 weapons in their possession.
Pvt. A., a surveillance soldier in the 909th Combat Intelligence Battalion, began her shift at the Tirza operations room at 8 p.m. About two hours into her shift, she noticed two people whose behavior aroused her suspicion.
“I spotted two people inside the enclave, moving east toward Jordan. It looked suspicious to me, and I immediately notified the company operations room, which was unaware of anyone who was supposed to be there,” she said. “Within less than 10 minutes of the sighting, the forces arrived in the area.”
Following the report, troops from the Jordan Valley and Valleys Brigade, officers from the Israel Police’s Jordan Border Unit in the Judea and Samaria District and Border Police officers in the West Bank arrived at the scene and set up ambushes in the area.
After the suspects crossed into Jordan, the surveillance soldiers lost visual contact with them but continued scanning the area for hours.
“The soldier who took over after me spotted them returning from the direction of Jordan, and they were caught by the forces we had dispatched to the location,” A. said. “They were caught with two bags, and all the weapons were found inside. If not for the surveillance soldier sitting at the post, they would have found out about it only after the fact.”
She added: “We were awake all night. I heard as soon as they were caught, and I’m proud to have played a part in thwarting a mission by people who were apparently planning to use the weapons in a terrorist attack. We’re staying here on guard. I wish everyone a happy and peaceful holiday, and I hope we also get to have a peaceful holiday meal.”
The weapons seized in the foiled smuggling attempt
The two suspects are Jericho residents in their 50s. According to police, they attempted to smuggle more than 30 handguns and two M-16 rifles. The suspects and the seized weapons were transferred to the Judea and Samaria District’s Central Unit for further investigation.
Sgt. N., A.’s commander, also began her shift at 8 p.m. It ended at 4 a.m. Friday. The two serve in the 909th Combat Intelligence Battalion, which was established in April and operates under the 96th Division. The battalion is composed entirely of women.
Following the initial sighting, Capt. B., a company commander in the battalion, was also called to the scene.
“The sector is usually quiet, so we train a lot for a situation in which something does happen. Complacency is our enemy,” N. said. “We handled the incident very quickly. As soon as A. spotted something suspicious, and after checking we understood that no one was supposed to be there, we declared ‘Turki Parash’” — a military term referring to a suspicious approach from Israeli territory toward the border.
“When they entered the enclave, we lost visual contact with them, but we continued scanning for three hours until they returned to Israeli territory with the bags on them,” N. added. “As soon as they crossed, they were caught by the forces that had arrived at the location. They were excellent. The company commander who led the operation called me immediately.”
N. said the incident demonstrated the importance of the surveillance soldiers’ work in the sector.
“The significance of our role is incredible. You are the eyes, the one protecting all the people, the communities and the farms. We protect them, and if we don’t do it, there is no one else who will.”
N., who will remain in the sector with her fellow soldiers during the holiday, added: “We know how important it is for us to be here on Shabbat and holidays. We have a sense of family here. We’re far from home, but it feels as much like home as anywhere. We’ll hold the holiday meal in a way that allows everyone to take part.”