Border Police nab two terrorists on their way to attacks, another 8 arrested in counterterrorism raids

One terrorist was caught at the scene of the near-attack in the Old City of Jerusalem; the other, at the Yitzhar Junction in Samaria.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Border Police units captured two terrorists who were already on their way to carry out separate attacks Monday night, one in Jerusalem and the other in Samaria.

The police released a statement saying that a Palestinian resident of Judea and Samaria in his 20s was arrested in the Old City for planning to attack people with a pair of scissors he had hidden in a bag that he was carrying.

His behavior aroused the suspicion of a patrol, who stopped and searched him, finding the sharp implement. During his interrogation, he admitted that he was planning to carry out a stabbing very close to where he had been caught.

The authorities will ask the court Tuesday to extend his remand in custody, according to a report Tuesday in Makor Rishon.

In a parallel incident, the Hebrew paper said, border police at the Yitzhar Junction near Huwara identified a Palestinian whose hands were in his pockets and seemed confused. According to The Jerusalem Post, they were tipped off by a civilian who noticed his strange demeanor.

During a search, the authorities found two knives and a letter in which he asked his parents for forgiveness and telling them they would receive huge financial compensation, apparently referring to the Palestinian Authority’s pay-for-slay policy.

The PA pays jailed terrorists a generous monthly salary on a sliding scale, depending on how many Israelis were injured or died in the attacks. If the terrorists die, their families are compensated.

The suspect, 21, who is a resident of a village near Jenin, was transferred to the Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency, for further questioning.

Also Monday night, IDF forces arrested a total of eight men in counterterror operations in Nablus (Shechem), Hebron, and several other terror hotbeds in the region.

An IDF statement said that during the raid in Nablus, Palestinians clashed with the Israeli forces, who responded with riot-dispersal measures, including the use of Ruger rifles, whose low-caliber bullets and are less lethal than those of regular IDF weapons.

When the troops left the city, the army spokesperson added, armed men shot at them and threw explosives. Three M-16s, a handgun and several bullet clips were seized during the various raids.

All those detained have been transferred for further interrogation by the security services.