Police Officer Injured in Yerushalayim Arab Riot

An Israeli police officer was injured Wednesday night as Arabs in the Issawiya neighborhood of Yerushalayim rioted. Arabs set off firecrackers and hurled them directly at a police officer, part of a patrol that was undertaking a security mission in the area.

The firecrackers exploded in front of the officer, who was lightly injured in the face. Police opened fire on two suspects who had thrown the firecrackers, but they were able to run away. Police are searching for the culprits.

Elsewhere in Yerushalayim, Channel 20 reported, Arabs caused a car crash when they threw rocks at an Israeli vehicle in the A-Tur neighborhood. The panicked driver sped away from the rocks, but in his haste slammed into a parked car. B’chasdei Shamayim, there were no injuries in the incident. Police were searching for the perpetrators.

IDF soldiers overnight Wednesday seized weapons that were to be used in terror attacks in the central Shomron village of Bidu. In a statement, police said that such weapons were often used in terror attacks, and that security forces were determined to seize all weapons that were being held illegally by all people, in order to better protect all Israelis and residents of Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, who are also under threat by terrorists and criminals.

Overnight Wednesday, security officials said they arrested 14 wanted security suspects in other areas 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.