IDF checkpoint (file)
IDF checkpoint (file)Flash 90

A Palestinian Arab teenager was arrested early Monday morning by Border Patrol and police officers, as he tried to pass the Shuafat checkpoint in northern Jerusalem on his way into the center of the capital city - armed with an improvised Carl Gustav automatic weapon.

The 15-year-old Arab arrived at the checkpoint at 2:45 a.m., where corporal Daniel Malka of the military police requested that he pass through a magnetometer metal detector as is done for all Arab residents seeking to pass the checkpoint into central Jerusalem.

The sophisticated metal detector was set off by the teen, at which point Malka had him pass through a second time only to have it be set off once again. The soldier then instructed him to take off his sweatshirt, and when he did so Malka saw a gun jutting out of his pants waistline.

Malka, thinking quickly, closed off the revolving door of the inspection area, while securing the site and calling the commander of the checkpoint, command sergeant major Tali Amar of the Border Patrol.

Amar arrived and the two immediately worked together to neutralize the teen and separate him from the weapon, a light-weight automatic Carl Gustav.

The would-be terrorist was arrested and brought in for investigation by the central unit of the Jerusalem district police.

"We are witnesses to repeated attempts to harm our forces; the fighters are briefed and trained to act in instances just like these. Fortunately today we succeeded in thwarting this incident before it got serious," said Amar.

Lt. Col. Gil Mamon, commander of the military police's Erez Battalion, noted that "the battalion works throughout the year with a goal of capturing terrorists and weapons and preventing their entry into the state of Israel."

"Battalion fighter corporal Daniel Malka showed alertness and functioned with professionalism as expected from him, and we appreciate and are proud of that."