Police announced Sunday that a bombing was thwarted in the small town of Avtalyon in Israel's north roughly two months ago. The attempted attack was kept under wraps until now due to a court order.

Unknown attackers placed a bomb near the entrance to the town, apparently planning to target a schoolbus or civilian car. The bomb was discovered before it could be put into use by a resident of the area, who spotted the device while running along the side of the road. The bomb was safely neutralized.

The incident took place the day before “Land Day,” an annual event where many Israeli Arabs demonstrate in commemoration of violent riots in 1976 in which several Israeli Arabs were killed in clashes with police.

Police say they believe the attempted bombing was connected to “Land Day,” and that the attack was planned as an act of terrorism.

Suspects were arrested after the bomb was discovered, but they were subsequently released. No suspects are currently in custody, police said.

A police captain told the Hebrew-language daily Yediot Aharonot that investigators believe the attempted bombing to be the work of a local terrorist cell.

In response to the publication of the incident, the Land of Israel Legal Forum requested that police allocate their resources differently. The group called on police to “send troops from the [unauthorized] outposts in Judea and Samaria, which do not pose a threat, to deal with the budding terrorist cells in the Galilee.”

Forum chairman Nachi Eyal expressed concern over the police force's priorities. “The police and the Shabak [Israel Security Agency] should turn their resources to saving Jewish lives, and not chasing down youths on hilltops,” he said.