Yamam counterterrorism officers arrested a wanted terrorist overnight in Shechem who is suspected of advancing terrorist activity and attempting to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians.

According to Palestinian reports, the suspect is Fatah al-Ashqar, who previously served as a commander in the Lions’ Den terrorist organization and as an officer in the Palestinian Authority security forces.

The arrest was carried out near the municipal stadium in Shechem following precise intelligence from the Shin Bet. Undercover Yamam officers covertly approached the wanted man’s home, caught him by surprise and arrested him.

After the undercover Yamam force began its operation and was exposed in the field, large numbers of IDF troops entered the area to secure the operation and enable the terrorist to be safely extracted from the area.

In a joint statement, the Israel Police and IDF said that al-Ashqar had been wanted for arrest since his involvement with Lions’ Den, the terrorist organization that operated in Shechem and was thwarted by Israeli security forces in 2022.

Israeli security officials said that throughout this period, the wanted terrorist continued working to advance terrorist activity and attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians.

At the conclusion of the operation, the suspect was transferred to the Shin Bet for further interrogation.

B’Chasdei Hashem, no Israeli security forces were injured during the operation.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)