A Palestinian man was arrested after Border Police observers spotted several suspects digging a shaft near the security barrier in the Qalandiya area outside Jerusalem.

Border Police forces were dispatched to the scene after observers at the Atarot command center detected the suspicious activity. As officers approached, the suspects fled, prompting a foot chase during which shots were fired into the air.

Police ultimately arrested a 36-year-old resident of the Qalandiya refugee camp who was illegally inside Israel. The suspect led officers to the excavation site and told investigators during initial questioning that the group intended to dig a tunnel to infiltrate Israeli territory.

Numerous digging tools and buckets believed to have been used in the excavation were discovered inside the shaft.

The suspect and the items recovered at the scene were transferred to the Jerusalem-area Border Police investigations and intelligence unit for further questioning. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests are expected.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)