IDF kills terrorist at West Bank checkpoint

A 20-year-old Palestinian carrying four pipe bombs was shot dead Monday evening at an IDF checkpoint located south of Nablus in the West Bank.

At around 7 pm soldiers manning the Hawara checkpoint spotted the Palestinian as he was making his way toward them in a suspicious manner with wires protruding from underneath his clothes.

Corporal Michal Ya'akov of the military police recounted the incident: "A young Palestinian who seemed confused arrived at the checkpoint. When he reached the turnstile I stopped him and asked that he pass through the metal detector. The apparatus beeped when he went through. I asked him what it was that he had on his body."

According to Ya'akov, the Palestinian responded by saying 'nothing' in Arabic while lifting his shirt and exposing the pipe bombs, which were strapped to the right part of his body.

"I identified the explosive devices and yelled 'explosives in the checkpoint' and cocked my rifle. Everyone (soldiers) aimed at Palestinian's head and neck so as not to set off the explosive device," she said.

Ya'akov said she then ordered him to lift his shirt up. "The Palestinian raised his arms up for two seconds, then pulled them down and reached for the explosive device," she said. At this point the checkpoint commander shot the man dead.

An IDF source told Ynet that "we definitely thwarted a terror attack. The Palestinian constantly 'played' with the explosive devices in order to activate them and harm the soldiers at the site."

The Hawara checkpoint has seen several terror-related incidents in the past. A week-and-a-half ago a Palestinian was caught there with a 6-inch knife.

In April a Palestinian teenager was detained by soldiers manning the checkpoint after a makeshift pipe bomb was found during a search of his belongings. Sappers conducted a controlled-detonation of the device.