Terror plot by ISIS sympathizers in Jerusalem foiled by police forces and Shin Bet

Two terrorists planning to carry out attacks in Jerusalem, who sympathize with the Islamic State, were arrested, the Jerusalem District Police and Shin Bet security agency stated on Thursday.

Under the direction of the Shin Bet intelligence, Jerusalem police forces arrested the suspects, both residents of Jabal Mukaber in East Jerusalem, on suspicion of their intention to carry out bomb attacks and for belonging to the terrorist organization “the Islamic State (ISIS).”

The investigation revealed that the two suspects, in their early 20s, came to support the ideology of the so-called Islamic State terror group by consuming its online content, including graphic footage of executions and videos taken from combat zones.

Following this, they planned to manufacture explosive charges and use them to kill Israeli police officers and soldiers in East Jerusalem but Shin Bet thwarted their plans before they could be carried out.

The suspects had already begun to prepare for the attacks by learning how to assemble explosive charges and other means of sabotage.

During searches surrounding the arrests, investigators also found pedophilic material on the cellphone of one of the suspects and opened another investigation file against him.

Following the investigation and after enough evidence was collected, the suspects’ detentions were extended and indictments against them are expected soon.

In their statement, the Jerusalem Police and Shin Bet added that they have thwarted dozens of attempted terror attacks in the Jerusalem area recently. They vowed to “continue to work with all security forces to counter-terrorism and arrest terrorists, to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”

A large number of arrested terror suspects over recent years have exhibited sympathies for the ISIS terror group, however, despite repeated attempts, ISIS has so far not succeeded in attacking Israel.

In the aftermath of the murderous assault by Hamas terrorists and their operatives against Israeli communities on Oct. 7, two black ISIS flags were found on the bodies of dead terrorists.

The flags may have belonged to former members of the ISIS branch in the Sinai peninsula who later returned to the Gaza Strip and then took part in the Hamas-led attack, according to a report from One Free World International (OFWI).