Terror attack thwarted after bomb found near Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs
The explosive was found during a routine check of an Border Police guard station; "We are aware of attempts by terrorists to hurt security forces and that is why we perform checks like this."
By JPOST.COM STAFFCave of the Patriarchs(photo credit: REUTERS)
Border Police thwarted a terror attempt near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron after discovering an explosive around their guard station.On Wednesday night, Border Police performed a search of the area around the guard station, located very close to the famous holy site where both Jews and Muslims pray. During the search, they found the explosive device, a pipe bomb.A bomb sapper was brought in to diffuse the weapon. After being diffused, the explosive was taken for further investigation in order to track down those responsible for placing it. "We are aware of attempts by terrorists to hurt security forces and that is why we perform checks like this," said the the commander of the squad that found the explosive. "We are ready for everything."On Tuesday, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot ordered the IDF to place war training at the top of its priority list.The development came after 2013 and 2014 saw a neglect in training and a shortening of drills for conscripted and reserve forces, due to budget shortages totaling billions of shekels.“The directive is very clear,” a senior security source said Tuesday. “The IDF must be prepared for conflicts. First of all, we train – on land, in the air and in the water. Logistics, the home front, and combat support. This applies first of all to conscripted forces, and then to the reserves.”Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report.
