On Monday morning a massive roadside bomb exploded near the Megiddo intersection in northern Israel. A car on the other side of the highway damaged from the unusually large explosion, and an Arab driver who was driving by was seriously wounded. Further details on the terror attack were placed under strict gag order.
Senior defense officials have been meeting intensely for days since the attack. Finally, after days of rumor, fear-mongering and speculation, the IDF released for publication on Wednesday afternoon that the during the searches and roadblocks, a vehicle was stopped in the area of Moshav Yaara (route 899), two minutes from the town of Shlomi and the northern border with Lebanon.
During the arrest of the vehicle, the armed terrorist posed a danger to the Shin Bet and IDF forces who neutralized and killed the terrorist in the car.
ככה”נ הרכב בו חוסל המחבל שחדר מלבנון וביצע את פיגוע המטען בצומת מגידו https://t.co/C6ijWQ6WDL
— בז news (@1717Bazz) March 15, 2023
Weapons, including a ready-to-use explosive suicide belt and other unnamed items were found in the terrorist’s possession. It is estimated that neutralizing the terrorist prevented another serious attack as he was making his way back to Lebanon.
A preliminary investigation shows that the terrorist apparently crossed from Lebanese territory into Israel earlier this week, which was a major security failure.
It also emerged that after the attack near the Megiddo junction, the terrorist stopped a car and had the driver to drive him north, alternatively, the driver was aiding him. That information has not been released.
The attack is under a broad investigation in which the involvement of the terrorist organization Hezbollah is also being examined, though not exclusively focused on Hezbollah.
There are numerous unanswered questions:
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- It does not appear that the terrorist brought the massive bomb with him from Lebanon all then carried it all the way down to Megiddo, especially with so many other available targets along the way.
So the first question is, who made the bomb? - Who placed the bomb that the terrorist exploded?
- Why Megiddo intersection and not more deadly targets along the way from Lebanon?
- How did the terrorist cross the border?
- What terror group is the terrorist is associated with?
- The terrorist appears to have had local assistance. Who aided him?
- It does not appear that the terrorist brought the massive bomb with him from Lebanon all then carried it all the way down to Megiddo, especially with so many other available targets along the way.
