Soldiers Bust Gang of PFLP Terrorists

IDF soldiers of the special Duvdevan forces unit entered the Dehaisha refugee camp near Chevron early Sunday and arrested terrorists associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror group. The terrorists are suspected of involvement in numerous terror activities. During the raid on homes where the terrorists were hiding, the soldiers also discovered numerous weapons, including M16 automatic rifles, handguns and ammunition.

Overnight Motzoei Shabbos, security officials said they had arrested nine wanted security suspects in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for participating in rioting and throwing stones and firebombs that endangered Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several of the suspects were also charged with belonging to Hamas. All were being questioned about their activities by security forces.

After completing their investigation of an incident Motzoei Shabbos in which an Arab driver attempted to run down Israeli security officers, police said that it appeared that the incident was linked to a ring of smugglers who attempted to smuggle Palestinian workers into Israel proper illegally. In the incident, three Border Patrol officers were lightly injured when an Arab driver attempted to run them down at an IDF checkpoint near Maaleh Adumim. The incident occurred when officers observed two Arabs climbing over the security fence near the checkpoint and entering a vehicle that had been waiting for them. Border Patrol officers drove off in pursuit of the vehicle, which got stuck in a traffic jam.

The officers got out of their vehicle and started walking towards the Arab car. The Arabs then started driving in reverse  at high speed, crashing into the Border Patrol vehicle and attempting to run down the officers. The officers opened fire at the Arab vehicle, which made a u-turn and tried to get away in the opposite direction, and another Border Patrol vehicle was dispatched to block the road. The Arabs attempted to get past that vehicle as well, but instead ended up crashing into the vehicle. In the car were three terrorists, and two of them, a 14-year-old and a 40-year-old, sustained injuries from gunfire.

Police said that the driver turned out to be an Israeli Arab who had been paid to smuggle the illegal workers into an Israeli city, where they were to seek work. The driver has been arrested, and the injured Arabs were being treated at an Israeli hospital. The Border Patrol officers were treated at a hospital and released.