Palestinian security forces last week thwarted an attack against IDF troops in the West Bank, senior officials involved in the incident said Sunday.
The move comes several weeks after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared that he is ending all security cooperation with Israel and the U.S. over plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
According to the officials, a Palestinian terror cell planted dozens of pipe bombs in an open area on the outskirts of Jenin, along the route usually taken by IDF troops when they arrive in the city to arrest terror suspects.
Sources said valuable intelligence information on Thursday led PA’s security forces to uncover the hidden explosives, which included 30 ready-to-use pipe bombs and a shotgun.
The assailants apparently intended to ambush IDF troops by throwing the bombs at them during a nighttime arrest in the area, as well as firing at them from the shotgun.
The sources, however, refused to say whether there was any communication between the heads of PA security apparatus and officials in Israeli defense establishment.
Two weeks ago, Ynet learned that PA's coordination and liaison officers told their Israeli counterparts that security coordination with Israel has been terminated.
They, however, emphasized the move is not a "green light" for terrorists to carry out activity against Israeli targets in the West Bank.