TEL AVIV – IDF forces detained Thursday evening two Palestinian suspected of planning to detonate themselves in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot.
The latest counter-terror success comes after an earlier series of arrests led to the recovery of two explosive belts and thwarted the double suicide bombing, planned for Thursday.
The two suspected would-be bombers were identified as Sa'ad Makhul, 18, and Abdul Issa, 20.
One of them was detained near the northern West Bank settlement of Homesh, while the other one was arrested at an army roadblock north of Ramallah. Security officials estimate the two belong to the Islamic Jihad terror cell apprehended Wednesday.
Both suspects have been taken in for interrogation by authorities.
Explosive charges found in cardboard boxes
On Wednesday, Shin Bet agents working in conjunction with the IDF, the Border Guard's undercover unit, and the Jerusalem police were able to apprehend Islamic Jihad terrorists from the northern West Bank. The suspects are believed to belong to the terror cell behind the last suicide bombing at the Stage nightclub in Tel Aviv.
Following the arrests, forces recovered bags containing explosive charges placed in cardboard boxes. The explosive material was supplemented by nails and shrapnel in order to increase the damage to victims.
During the subsequent interrogation, the terrorists confessed that they attempted to dispatch suicide bombers from the northern West Bank on two separate occasions this week.
