A man whose report triggered the arrests near Latrun admitted he had lied, and investigators now believe the suspects were not planning a terror attack. Reports that they planned to attack Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium have also been ruled out. The Shin Bet investigation is continuing to ensure there is no security threat.
On Monday evening, around 8 p.m., security officials received an urgent report that a vehicle was carrying a terrorist cell planning an imminent attack in a city in central Israel.
Shin Bet’s Tequila team and Yamam counterterrorism forces were dispatched to locate the vehicle and arrest its occupants. The car was located on Route 1 near Latrun, where the suspects were arrested in the middle of the road in front of numerous motorists and passersby.
The suspects were taken for Shin Bet questioning. No weapons or other combat equipment were found in their vehicle.
During the investigation, doubts emerged about the reliability of the initial intelligence. Investigators tracked down the man who made the report, and he admitted that the information he provided was false.
Despite the development, the suspects remain under questioning while security officials examine additional leads and work to rule out any potential threat.
A security official defended the decision to deploy special forces based on the information received.
“In such a sensitive period, we don't take risks. Every unusual indication is treated seriously. That is what we did in this case, and that is what we will continue to do," the official said.
“We take every indication and every report we receive seriously," the official added.