Four Palestinians were arrested at Salem crossing in northern Samaria on suspicion of planning a major terrorist attack. In their possession the IDF found 11 pipe bombs, a pistol, and a commando knife.
The suspects were last in line to enter the Samaria Military Court when a soldier observed wires sticking out from under the jacket of one of the suspects. Military police immediately closed down the crossing, identified and detained the four suspects, and secured the area. The IDF believes that the Samaria Military Court was the intended target. The suspects were transferred to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Services) for interrogation.
Military sources underscored the gravity of the attempted attack: “Eleven devices is an exceptional amount in one time. We’ve had incidents this year of three or four devices seized at the same time.”