IDF soldiers manning a checkpoint prevented a major terror attack Sunday morning, having noticed a fast-moving vehicle with a suspicious-looking driver.
A car bomb driven by an Arab terrorist was caught this morning at the IDF Beitar checkpoint near Beitar Sunday morning. An initial investigation indicates that a massive terror attack was thwarted.
An Arab driver approached the checkpoint – located in Judea in Gush Etzion, near Modi’in – at a suspicious pace, thus alerting the soldiers manning the checkpoint, who ordered him to stop.
Upon approaching the driver, they noticed he was wearing a wig. The driver was asked to turn off his car, but did not heed the order. A Border Policeman approached the car and tried turning off the ignition on his own. When his body was halfway inside the car, the terrorist resumed driving. The policeman drew his weapon and forced the driver to halt.
The terrorist was arrested, and after searching the car the soldiers revealed that the vehicle contained a powerful explosive device, including a gas balloon connected to the device.
It was successfully neutralized, and the terrorist was turned over to the Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) for further questioning.
This was not the first such attempt during Operation Protective Edge. On July 10, security officers of the Checkpoints Authority arrested an Arab who was transporting a bomb in his car en route to carrying out a terror attack in central Israel. One of the officers noticed a bag between the driver’s legs, inside which was a gas balloon connected to electric wires. The driver later admitted that he had been on his way to carry out an attack.
Author: Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency