Israeli Border Police prevented a suicide attack Friday morning at the Tapuah Junction, near the city of Ariel, in the northeastern region of the West Bank. Soldiers discovered a Palestinian man wearing an explosive vest attempting to enter Israel.
Early Friday morning, security policemen form the Alon battalion saw a man walking towards them in a heavy coat, despite the heat. Forces ordered the man to stop, at which point he lay down on the road.
The suspect, a Nablus resident in his early twenties, eventually removed the coat, revealing an explosive belt strapped around his body. The terrorist was arrested and explosive experts were rushed to the scene to neutralize the bomb.
“It is still unclear what the suspect’s intentions were,” battalion commander Shlomi Yosef said. “But it is certain that the awareness and professionalism of the forces led to the arrest of the suspect and the seizure of the explosives, which appear to have prevented a serious disaster.”
The area was immediately closed off the traffic and evacuated following the incident. It is believed that the terrorist was on his way to attack IDF soldiers nearby. The terrorist has been taken in for interrogation.
