The Shin Bet (ISA) has foiled an attempt to kidnap an IDF soldier in the Binyamin Region.
As part of the Shin Bet's cooperative operations with the IDF and Israeli Police, nine Palestinian Authority (PA) Arabs were arrested on suspicion of involvement in creation of Hamas terror infrastructure in establishing a Hamas terror infrastructure in Bidu village in Binyamin.
During their interrogations by the Shin Bet, it was found that the nine worked to plan a terror attack in which they would kidnap an IDF soldier. The terrorists also armed themselves, prepared explosives and devices, sketched out the paths which they would use to escape, and carried out information-gathering visits in order to learn the routines of the Binyamin Region soldiers. In addition, the terrorists prepared a place to hide the kidnapped soldier.
With the terrorists' arrests, the kidnapping plan was thwarted.
The interrogation also revealed that the group was planning to carry out both shooting attacks and attacks using explosive devices, targeting IDF forces in Binyamin. In order to carry out their intentions, the terrorists busied themselves with learning how to manufacture explosives, and even set up a homemade lab to prepare explosives within a residential home.
In the lab, which was found and closed during the Shin Bet investigation, raw materials for the manufacture of explosives and devices were found, as well as materials to create fireworks, pipes to build explosive devices, and more. In addition, Carlo submachine guns were found, along with maps on which plans for the terror attacks and escape routes were drawn.
In light of the severity of the attack which they were planning, the group worked in a departmentalized fashion, while ensuring maximum secrecy in order to prevent their activities from being discovered.