A terror attack was thwarted in the early hours of Monday morning when a terrorist, armed with an axe and a knife, was caught by the police in the Shomron.

The terrorist’s car aroused the suspicion of Border Police officers at a checkpoint at the Taupuach Junction and they ordered him to pull over. During a search of his vehicle, the officers discovered an axe, a knife, and a suicide note, in which the suspect wrote that he was on his way to murder Jews.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the terrorist had driven around the area for an hour searching for Jews waiting alone at a bus stop in order to carry out his nefarious plans.

The suspect, a 22-year-old Palestinian resident of Al-Bireh, was arrested and transferred for interrogation.

Israeli security forces carried out counterterrorism operations overnight Monday as part of Operation Break The Wave in Tulkarem and a number of Arab villages in Yehudah and Shomron. In one village near Jenin, terrorists opened fire on IDF soldiers and a heavy gun battle ensued.

A total of nine wanted Arabs suspected of terrorist activity were arrested and transferred for questioning.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)