Large PA Weapons Workshop Shuttered

IDF soldiers and Shin Bet agents overnight Tuesday shut down a workshop for the manufacture of arms in an Arab village in the Talmonim region, west of Ramallah. The workshop produced dozens of weapons a year. It included several large metal cutting machines, along with dozens of weapons in various stages of manufacture. Soldiers confiscated the equipment and weapons, and made several arrests.

Security officials overnight Tuesday also seized a cache of weapons held in Arab homes in the same area. Several handguns were found, along with ammunition. In a statement, security officials said that such weapons were used in terror attacks as well as for criminal activity, 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 Tuesday, security officials said they arrested 16 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.