A major attack on a heavily-travelled Israeli highway linking Tel Aviv with the capital was foiled recently by Palestinian Authority security forces.
According to a report Friday morning by Yediot Ahronot, a large explosive device was found by PA police close to Route 443 – a major roadway between Jerusalem and the coastal plain which passes by the central Israeli city of Modiin.
The bomb, security experts say, was likely intended for Israeli military forces driving down the 443. The planned attack may have been meant to escalate tensions in the region with the hope of ending ceasefire talks between Israel and the Hamas terror organization.
The explosive device was reportedly found on a small access road between two Palestinian Authority-controlled towns near Route 443.
PA security officers discovered the bomb, and called in a special sapper unit to defuse the device. The bomb was built with two gas tanks attached to an explosive charge, and included a large number of nails, which were to have served as shrapnel.
After the discovery of the explosive device, PA authorities notified their Israeli counterparts, and kept Israeli security officials updated in real-time as the bomb was defused.
The bomb type is reminiscent of explosive devices used in the past by the Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad terror group, experts say.