Armed Arab arrested for plotting shooting attack in southern Israel

Israeli Bedouin man in his 30s arrested with loaded M-16, ahead of planned shooting attacks on businesses in southern Israeli town of Rahat.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli police arrested a man armed with an M-16 machine gun on Sunday morning who is suspected of planning to open fire on businesses in the Bedouin town of Rahat.

The man in his 30s was arrested as part of an initiative to curb crime in Israel’s Arab and Bedouin sectors.

According to the police, the suspect, who was driving a car in Rahat, was signaled to stop by officers deployed in the area. The suspect ignored the police instructions and began driving wildly.

Officers searching the car found an M-16 already loaded for firing.

Rahat, located in the Negev near Beersheva, has a population of 71,000, making it the world’s largest Bedouin municipality.

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