IDF forces prevented two major attacks over the weekend. Near the PLO-controlled town of Kalkilye, reserves soldiers spotted a suspicious vehicle on Friday night making its way towards the Kalkilye/Kfar Sava junction. They fired warning shots at the car, and the three Arabs inside the car ran out and fled on foot back towards Kalkilye. The vehicle, with Israeli license plates, was later found to contain four powerful bombs, gas canisters, and nails. An IDF tank crew fired a shell at the car, setting off the explosives - and leaving witnesses aghast at what could have happened had the car succeeded in reaching its destination in pre-\'67 Israel.
Last night, a bit further east, police were on high alert in the Um el-Fahm area after having received word of a possible suicide attack. Sure enough, around 10:30 PM, an Arab opened fire at a Border Guard jeep. Damage was caused to the jeep, but no one was injured. The troops returned fire; the man eventually surrendered, and led them to where he had hidden an IDF uniform and where he had disposed of his suicide-explosives belt. He admitted that he had intended to commit a suicide attack in Afula, but when he could find no way to get there, he decided to target Border Police instead.
The high alert was removed, but Police Chief Shlomo Aharonishki said that police remain on high terrorist-attack alert in several locations throughout Israel’s Sharon region, north of Tel-Aviv. Hosting members of the Knesset Law Committee during a visit to national police headquarters today, Aharonishki said that there are still many active \"hot terror warnings\" in major cities nationwide.
Last night, a bit further east, police were on high alert in the Um el-Fahm area after having received word of a possible suicide attack. Sure enough, around 10:30 PM, an Arab opened fire at a Border Guard jeep. Damage was caused to the jeep, but no one was injured. The troops returned fire; the man eventually surrendered, and led them to where he had hidden an IDF uniform and where he had disposed of his suicide-explosives belt. He admitted that he had intended to commit a suicide attack in Afula, but when he could find no way to get there, he decided to target Border Police instead.
The high alert was removed, but Police Chief Shlomo Aharonishki said that police remain on high terrorist-attack alert in several locations throughout Israel’s Sharon region, north of Tel-Aviv. Hosting members of the Knesset Law Committee during a visit to national police headquarters today, Aharonishki said that there are still many active \"hot terror warnings\" in major cities nationwide.