Security Forces: Terror Assault Prevented in Shomron

A major terror assault on the road to the Jewish settlement of El Matan in central Shomron was averted when security forces arrested 28-year-old Amad al-Houli, a resident of the Arab village of Azoun, on March 23. The Shin Bet cleared this report for publication Tuesday.

Al-Houli was arrested with knives and firearms in his possession, apparently on his way to carry out a shooting attack. Investigators say that he had changed his mind and was on his way back home when he was arrested.

According to investigators, Al-Houli and several coconspirators planned to carry out a shooting attack on Israelis traveling to El Matan, a new community south of Maaleh Shomron in central Shomron. The attack was to take place on the same road where terrorists threw a firebomb at an Israeli driver who was traveling to the town in December 2014. Badly burned in that attack was Ayala Shapira, who only recently returned home from the hospital after a lengthy recovery period.

Separately, security forces announced they had detained three Arab terrorists who had shot at Israeli drivers near the village of Iksaka in the Binyamin region. The three, residents of the village of Aa’rura north of Ramallah, were found in possession of weapons, including automatic firearms.

Meanwhile, an Israeli driver was lightly injured Tuesday morning in a rock-throwing incident near the village of Hawara in Shomron. The Israeli was treated on site and released, as Jewish residents of the area blocked the road and demanded more security. IDF troops arrested two suspects in the incident.

Overnight Monday, security officials said they arrested 21 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 on their activities by security forces.