“The incident started as a routine arrest that we carried out after receiving intelligence information,” said Maj. Shai Kedem, an IDF commander whose soldiers uncovered several weapons south of Jenin late Tuesday. During the arrest, the soldiers performed searches and found concealed weapons in the house of a Palestinian terror suspect.

Two rifles and a handgun discovered by IDF forces on Tuesday

Throughout their search, the soldiers discovered a Kalashnikov rifle, a handgun, a hunting rifle and a magazine filled with bullets.

“We are arresting whomever we need to arrest and seizing the weapons found in their possession, because we know that they will be pointed at us one day, or that they will be used to carry out a terror attack against Israeli civilians or soldiers,” added Maj. Kedem. “We will go wherever necessary to remove weapons from this area.”

Kfir Brigade soldiers participate in subterranean combat training, just one part of their many preparations to fight terrorism.

Illegal weapons are just one of the many challenges facing IDF forces in the Judea and Samaria region. In September 2013, terrorists used such weapons to shoot and kill Sergeant Gabriel Kobi, age 20, as he performed routine activity in Hebron. “The arrests are the easy part,” Maj. Kedem said. “The major task of our soldiers is to prevent terrorist attacks – on the roads, in communities, and at crossings.  This work demands significant physical and mental energy and many hours of work.”

Last January, IDF forces discovered a rifle concealed in a school backpack meant for a young girl.

According to Maj. Kedem, constant efforts to prevent terror require soldiers to enter dark and dangerous places on a regular basis. “Their goal is to prevent every kind of terrorist attack, and the result is simply peace and quiet. I know we have done our job to ensure a normal way of life for [Israeli] civilians.”

View original IDF blog publication at: http://www.idfblog.com/2014/05/07/idf-soldiers-uncover-weapons-terrorists-possession/