By DANIEL K. EISENBUD, YAAKOV LAPPINUpdated: APRIL 16, 2016 17:27Stone-throwing Palestinians clash with Israeli police in Sur Baher, a village in the suburbs of east Jerusalem(photo credit: REUTERS)
A Palestinian terrorist armed with an ax attacked soldiers at an IDF post at Al-Aroub south of Bethlehem on Wednesday afternoon.The soldier’s helmet deflected the blow and the attacker was shot dead by fellow soldiers before he could strike again. All the soldiers were unharmed.Elsewhere yesterday, security forces thwarted a terrorist attack in Jerusalem when they arrested two Palestinian boys in the Old City. Around 1 p.m. border policemen patrolling the Muslim quarter identified two 12-year-old boys behaving suspiciously, said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.“Police units immediately approached them carefully and cautiously, and proceeded to question them,” said Rosenfeld. “During a search, officers found one of the boys concealed a meat cleaver and kitchen knife in his jacket, and the other boy had a large kitchen knife hidden in his jacket.”Both youths were disarmed and arrested, he said. Under questioning, they confessed to planning to carry out a terrorist attack against Jews in the Old City.“They remain in custody and will be arraigned at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court,” said Rosenfeld.The ax incident was the first Palestinian attack on security forces in several days. The last terrorist attack in the capital took place on March 9.Rosenfeld said police have made security assessments in view of the tens of thousands of visitors expected to converge in the capital for Passover next week.“We are continuing security measures, and deploying police units in and around the Old City in order to prevent further terrorist attacks,” he said.Since the wave of attacks began in October, terrorists have killed 30 Israelis and two US citizens, while security forces have shot dead approximately 190 Palestinian assailants.