Police forces successfully thwarted a terror attack in Samaria on Sunday night after arresting an Arab armed with an ax and carrying a suicide note indicating his intention to carry out an attack.
During a police operation to secure and maintain order at the Tapuach Junction, a central site in Samaria, police stopped a vehicle that raised their suspicion.
During a search of the vehicle, the police seized an ax and a suicide note, in which the suspect wrote that he was on his way to carry out an attack.
A preliminary investigation shows that the suspect went around for about an hour looking for Israelis standing alone in order to attack them with the ax.
The 22-year-old suspect, a resident of Al Bira near Ramallah, was arrested for questioning.
Police Commander Haim Sargrof commended “the vigilance of the police” which “apparently prevented a major attack.”
“We will continue with determination and professionalism together with the other security forces to protect the security of Israeli citizens anywhere and at any time,” he stated.
Israeli security forces are on high alert following a long string of terror attacks in Israel.
The IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police operated on Sunday night to arrest terror suspects throughout Judea and Samaria, including in the villages of Beituniya, Akhtabta, and the Palestinian Authority city of Tulkarm.
Israeli forces also operated in the village of al-Yamun near Jenin and arrested a wanted man suspected of involvement in terrorist activities. During the operation, Israeli forces were shot at by terrorists.
In addition, the forces operated in the village of al-Bira and arrested five wanted persons suspected of terrorist activity.
A total of nine wanted persons suspected of terrorist activity were arrested. There were no Israeli casualties.
The arrests were made as part of Operation Wave Breaker, Israel’s counterterrorism operation, following several deadly terror attacks that the country experienced in recent weeks.
The latest attack occurred on Thursday night in Elad, in which two terrorists axed to death three Israeli men, leaving behind 16 orphans.
On Friday night a bit over a week ago, Vyacheslav Golev was shot dead at the entrance to the city of Ariel in Samaria. In the attack before that, a terrorist from Jenin shot and killed three Israelis in the heart of Tel Aviv. Before that, a terrorist from Yabed shot and killed five people in the city of Bnei Brak. In the second attack, two Islamist terrorists shot and killed two Israelis in the city of Hadera. In Be’er Sheva, a terrorist stabbed and murdered four Israelis. Jerusalem has been the scene of several attacks as well.
