Israeli police arrested two residents of Elad overnight following a pair of violent attacks targeting senior municipal officials, including the throwing of a stun grenade at the home of the city’s chief executive and the suspected arson of a vehicle belonging to the mayor’s chief of staff.

Investigators believe the attacks may have been carried out in retaliation for enforcement actions recently undertaken by the Elad municipality against the suspects, raising concerns about attempts by criminal elements to intimidate city officials.

The two suspects, men in their 20s and 30s, were taken into custody by officers from the Rosh Ha’ayin police station in Israel’s Central District following an intensive investigation into the incidents.

The violence began Wednesday evening when police received a report that a stun grenade had been thrown toward the fence surrounding a private residence in Elad. Officers rushed to the scene and began searching the surrounding area for those responsible.

Shortly afterward, authorities received another report involving a vehicle that had caught fire elsewhere in the city. Initial findings at the scene led investigators to suspect that the blaze had been deliberately set.

The targeted vehicle belonged to Shimon Suissa, who serves as chief of staff to the mayor of Elad. The stun grenade, meanwhile, had been thrown toward the residence of Amnon Maksimov, the municipality’s director-general.

The attacks, which occurred within a short period of one another, prompted police to investigate whether the two incidents were connected and whether senior city officials were being deliberately targeted.

According to preliminary findings by the Sharon District Central Investigations Unit, the suspected motive was municipal enforcement activity recently carried out against the two individuals now in custody.

Police suspect that the men responded to those enforcement measures by targeting municipal officials in an effort to frighten them and interfere with the city’s efforts to maintain public order.

Investigators have not publicly detailed the specific enforcement actions believed to have triggered the attacks.

Following several hours of investigative and operational activity, police located the two suspects during the night and placed them under arrest.

Both were transferred to the Sharon District Central Investigations Unit for questioning and were subsequently held in custody.

Police are expected to bring the suspects before a judge on Thursday and request an extension of their detention while investigators continue gathering evidence.

The Elad municipality issued a forceful statement Wednesday night condemning the violence and insisting that threats against city officials would not interfere with municipal operations.

“Following the incidents that occurred in recent hours, including threats directed at senior municipal officials, the Elad Municipality makes clear that it will not be deterred by criminal elements attempting to intimidate residents and the municipal leadership. These are unacceptable attempts to instill fear and undermine the public’s sense of security. The Elad Municipality will not allow these elements to dictate the municipal agenda,” the municipality said.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the two individuals are suspects who have not been convicted of any offense.