Israeli forces were successful in capturing a Palestinian terror cell operating in the Shechem (Nablus) area that planned to kidnap an Israeli citizen and hold him in exchange for Palestinian terrorists incarcerated in Israeli prisons.
The cell was exposed and nabbed during a joint operation between the IDF, the Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) and Israeli police to arrest two terrorists responsible for a stabbing attack near Har Bracha at the beginning of March, which left two soldiers wounded, one moderately and one lightly.
The forces arrested a number of suspects, and two of them confessed to committing the attack.
The two, both aged 15, admitted to stabbing the soldiers in order to die a “martyr’s death.”
Other Palestinian terrorists were arrested for planning attacks against the Israeli community of Har Bracha.
Saed Husam Ahed Pakia, 30, a member of the PFLP terror group, admitted that he planned to kidnap a Har Bracha resident in order to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, together with terrorist Malec Kadus.
Pakia prepared a hiding place for the victim. He also planned to stab IDF soldiers and steal their weapons.
Kadus, 24, a Hamas terrorist, planned shooting and stabbing attacks against the IDF.
Another minor, 14, was involved in the terror activity.
The terror cell will be indicted in a military court in the coming days, a Shabak spokesman stated Tuesday.
