Security forces arrest Palestinian woman with knife at West Bank checkpoint

Security forces on Sunday detained a Palestinian woman who was apparently planning to carry out a stabbing attack at a Jerusalem checkpoint, police said.

Guards at the Qalandiya checkpoint north of the capital stopped a woman who was acting suspiciously. She had raised suspicion by approaching Israeli guards manning an area meant for vehicular traffic instead of the pedestrian passageway.

When the women ignored instructions from security guards they used pepper spray on the suspect, police said. A knife was found in her bag.

The suspect, in her 30s, was from the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Qalandiya, the statement said.

She was taken away for further questioning.

There have been numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings at the checkpoint which links the Qalandiya camp with Jerusalem. Many of the attackers were stopped as they walked along the vehicular approach. In some incidents, security guards opened fire on attackers, wounding or killing them after they pulled out knives.