At least three members of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces have been arrested in connection with terrorist shooting attacks aimed at IDF personnel together with other members of a terrorist cell in the Tulkarem region.
The entire cell was arrested recently, according to a statement released Sunday by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).
Together with IDF and Border Guard Police forces, Shin Bet agents arrested the suspected members of the terrorist cell at the Jabara checkpoint near Taibe and Tulkarem, the statement said.
Members of the terrorist cell had carried out seven attacks against Israeli Defense Forces around the area of Danaba and Tulkarem before they were caught, including a shooting attack on April 29 at the Khirbet Jabara crossing near Tulkarem.
“During the investigation, various weapons were seized, including two ‘Carlo Gustav’ sub-machine guns, six pipe bombs and an improvised explosive device,” the Shin Bet said.
One of the Palestinian Authority security service members in the terrorist cell had already served time in an Israeli prison on terror charges. He was freed as part of the 2011 prisoner swap for abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
“Ahmed Abd al-Qader, a resident of Tulkarem, was also arrested on suspicion of supplying the weapons used by the terrorists in last month’s shooting attack,” the Shin Bet said in its statement.
“Investigators discovered serious terrorist activity aimed at IDF soldiers with the support of the Tanzim [terrorist] organization and operatives of the Palestinian Authority’s security services,” the Shin Bet added.