Police Arrest Terrorist Who Planned Attack Two Days Out of Prison

Border police on Monday arrested an Arab in the Old City of Yerushalayim illegally who they said planned to attack police or soldiers. The Arab had been released from prison two days earlier for similar crimes, police said Tuesday.

The illegal Arab raised the suspicions of officers who were on patrol, and they detained and questioned him. Under questioning, it emerged that the 28-year-old had been scouting for opportunities to attack Israeli security officers in the area of the Old City.

The suspect told police that he had been released from prison just two days earlier for security violations. The suspect, with a long record, had been arrested in 2004 for attempting to stab an Israeli police officer, and had spent six years in prison for that crime.

In a statement, police said that the “attentiveness and determination of officers led to the capture and arrest of this suspect, and the prevention of an attack against security officers. We are prepared to deal with all threats in the Old City, and will work to ensure the security of the public.”