Stray bullets hit Israeli vehicle in West Bank

An Israeli vehicle was hit by stray bullets on Friday while driving on a highway near the West Bank settlement of Adam, north of Jerusalem, police reported.

An initial investigation revealed that the shots were fired during a celebration at a nearby Palestinian town, and that the shooters did not intend to target the Israeli driver, reported Ynet News. Palestinians traditionally fire off shots in the air during weddings and other celebrations.

The driver was not injured in the incident, but his car sustained some minor damage.

Earlier Friday, Border Police forces at the Tapuah Junction in the northern West Bank prevented a suspected suicide attack by a Palestinian who was wearing an explosive vest.

Policemen from the Alon battalion of the Border Police saw the man, a 20-year-old Nablus resident, walking toward them wearing a heavy coat, despite the 35-degree-Celsius heat (95 degrees Farenheit). The policemen called on the man to stop, at which point he lay down in the road.

Eventually, the suspect allowed policemen to remove his coat, revealing what looked like an explosive belt on his person. He admitted that it was indeed a bomb.

The man was arrested, and police sappers were rushed to the scene to neutralize the bomb. According to reports, the explosive belt was composed of 12 pipe bombs connected with electric wires.

IDF sources said their initial estimate is that the man was on his way to an attack, possibly against soldiers stationed nearby.

He was taken in for interrogation.

The junction was closed to traffic for about an hour after the incident.

Lazar Berman contributed to this report