Israel reportedly arrests 3 Palestinians as part of manhunt for teen's killers
Palestinian media says the men have been detained during IDF's raid on a village near Ramallah; meanwhile, the condition of Rina Shnerb's brother, who was also wounded by the improvised explosive device, is said to have improved
Israeli security forces arrested three men in the West Bank as part of a large-scale manhunt for the terrorists behind the bombing that killed 17-year-old Rina Shnerb, said the reports in the Palestinian media Saturday.
Rina was killed and her 19-year-old brother Dvir and their 46-year-old father Rabbi Eitan Shnerb were wounded on Friday morning when an improvised explosive device detonated as they headed to a natural spring near the West Bank settlement of Dolev.
The reports said the men were arrested during an IDF raid in the village of Ein Arik, 7 kilometers (4 miles) west of Ramallah. Two of the suspects are reportedly the residents of the raided village while the third man is said to be from the nearby village of Ein Qiniya.
It remains unclear how the three are connected to the attack in Dolev.
During the raid, the IDF troops reportedly confiscated surveillance cameras from local business and set up security checkpoints.
In the meantime, Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Karem hospital - where the wounded from the attack are being treated - said the condition of the 19-year-old brother has improved after he'd undergone a surgery on Friday. He is said to be fully conscious and alert.
It was initially unclear to the security forces whether a terrorist had thrown the bomb at the family or their route was booby-trapped, but they later decided that that second option was most likely.
This type of attack is extremely unusual and has raised concerns among local residents that more devices have been placed at other hiking spots in Judea and Samaria.
The IDF and Shin Bet security service on Friday evening intensified efforts to locate the terrorists behind the bombing, while trying to prevent an escalation of violence. The IDF is focusing its efforts on defending the settlements in the area to prevent copycat attacks.
As such, the IDF has decided to maintain freedom of movement for Palestinians on the local roads. Furthermore, activity in Palestinian territories are being conducted in line with intelligence gathered and data collected by the Shin Bet in an effort to trace the location of the perpetrators.
