Two Palestinians arrested over April attack on kibbutz near northern West Bank

The Shin Bet security agency says Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian gunman suspected of carrying out a shooting attack targeting Kibbutz Meirav, adjacent to the northern West Bank border barrier, in April.

Yousef Abu al-Roub, 32, from the West Bank town of Jalbun near Jenin, allegedly opened fire at the town on April 18, damaging a home.

The Shin Bet says a second suspect, Mohammed al-Roub, 35, affiliated with the Islamic State jihadist group, was arrested for allegedly supplying the gun to al-Roub.

Mohammed al-Roub, left and Yousef Abu al-Roub, seen in a composite handout photo provided by the Shin Bet. (Courtesy)

The weapon, a makeshift Carlo Gustav sub-machine gun, was handed over to security forces at the Salem checkpoint by Yousef’s father, the Shin Bet says.

Yousef confessed to have carried out the attack and told interrogators that he had taken pictures of the kibbutz over the course of several months and sent them to Mohammed.

He claimed he had carried out a string of shootings against Israeli forces in the area, the Shin Bet says, without confirming the claim.

Both were charged last week with serious security offenses, the agency adds.