Bomb-sniffing Labrador thwarts possible terror attack in E. Jerusalem

A bomb-sniffing police dog thwarted a possible terror attack in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiyah on Friday, according to police.

“Taj,” a Labrador in the Border Police Canine Unit, discovered a pipe bomb at a checkpoint leading from the East Jerusalem neighborhood to the main road into Ma’ale Adumim, just outside the capital, police said in a statement.

Sappers arrived at the scene and disabled the explosive device.

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A police video uploaded to social media shows the controlled explosion of the pipe bomb at the scene.

Border Police discovered a pipe bomb at a checkpoint near Isawiya in East Jerusalem on October 16, 2015. (Border Police)

The explosives could have caused significant harm to security forces or innocent civilians if it had made it across the checkpoint, police said.

“We are prepared for precisely these types of incidents,” said the head of the Border Police’s canine unit in Jerusalem, Sergeant Haim Sabbag.

במסגרת ההיערכות המבצעית הרחבה בירושלים אותר מטען נפץ סמוך למחסום בידוק ליד עיסאוויה, בו מוצבים לוחמי מילואים של מג״ב pic.twitter.com/8SdUTIWHXh

— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) October 16, 2015

“It is very possible that the device the canine uncovered could have been used to harm forces nearby. [His discovery] saved lives,” he added

Security sweeps by police canine units are part of the massive deployment of security forces in Jerusalem in the wake of the near-daily terror attacks against Israelis in recent weeks.