Amid the current terrorism wave, illegal weapons like this one have been seized by Israel this year instead of reaching terrorists. Illustrative. Photo courtesy of ISA.
In view of the recent terror shooting in Jerusalem, the need to intercept illegal guns and weapons continues to be emphasized, and Israeli security forces have certainly made their mark on 2016. This year alone, more than 350 guns have been uncovered by Israel, including three more improvised guns found recently when a suspect was apprehended, according to the IDF Spokesperson Twitter feed. The post noted that in 2016 “forces found 32 weapon manufacturing workshops” as well as the hundreds of weapons.
IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner tweeted his own comment on the efforts to snag weapons, showing an image of various guns found in a car and then asking, “What are you hiding in your trunk? Here’s what IDF forces revealed in a car at a checkpoint near al-Khader.” Interception of illegal weapons by Israel looks to have picked up in the last couple months. A post on the IDF Blog in early August said that more than 235 guns had been seized for the year to date at the time—meaning that more than a hundred weapons have been discovered by Israeli security forces in the last two months alone.
The latest gun discoveries follow the interception of a suspect en route to an arms deal last Thursday, according Lerner’s Twitter feed. The IDF Spokesperson also Tweeted on the arrest, noting that an improvised rifle was discovered. The Tweets included video showing a car being intercepted by Israeli security forces.
And catching illegal guns can make a broader impact than just getting dangerous illicit weapons off the streets. During the summer, two members of the Palestinian security services were arrested for weapons dealing—thereby stopping illegal weapons at their source.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, October 9, 2016)