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| Motor Cycle Police (Picture: TAB) |
Yesterday was a quiet morning. When I arrived at the tram stop I was alone. A few meters away I heard shouts and looked up
to see the tram security guards challenging a young Arab man. He was behaving very aggressively, swinging an object of some type at the guard~trying to
back him onto the rails.
Before I had registered what was happening the guard had him on the ground while others across the track
were clearing the area. In a matter of minutes the rapid response motor cycle police and other security forces swarmed the are, the streets were cleared and taped off in each direction.
I did not realize it at the time, but the guards had contained and neutralized the attacker, while blocking any danger to the public with their own bodies until their colleagues could clear the area.
One guard knelt at the man's head to keep him from moving while the
second pulled his clothing away~to insure there were no hidden weapons or
explosive devices.
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| Terrorist Neutralized (Picture: TAB) |
The streets in all directions were quickly cordoned off and security forces lined up to keep people at a safe distance. Shops along the street closed the doors and some
lowered the metal treis. Of course, because this is Israel, the majority of the people were trying to get closer to see what was happening!
What I (or the other onlookers) did not know at the time, was that
there were several pipe bombs in the man's back pack. One of the guards who was
first on the spot told our "crowd" he saw wires and suspected it was a bomb~describing it to the delight and awe of us all.
The local news has since reported that as well as the pipe bombs,
there were knives in the bag and that a major attack was planned for the tram.
One of the first things to arrive (along with squads of police) was a truck carrying the "robot".
This tiny tractor is sent in to exam suspicious packages to determine
the next action. It is kind of like a giant robotic toy and people quite enjoyed seeing it deployed!
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| The Robot (Picture: TAB) |
At the start of these types of situation many things happen in rapid succession. From the start, and well past the "all clear", there were forces lined at each end of the streets to keep
the curious out of harm's way, answer questions and most importantly, watch
for other dangerous persons that may be mingling in the crowd.
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| Guard (Picture: TAB) |
Of course, we had now been pushed back to the intersection and details of what was going on were difficult to see.
Local news has since reported that one of the guards, a Druze, had
challenged the man in Arabic after noticing that he looked out of place (he was from the PA area in the West Bank). The guard spotted wires sticking out of the bag~and
as a result of his quick actions a disaster was avoided. *When the local news spoke with him he had to cover his face to avoid being identified and targeted for retribution.
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| Dogs Arriving (Picture: TAB) |
Next to arrive were the bomb-sniffing dogs~there were three, with tails wagging and
ears alert. Around the same time a second, smaller robot was also
deployed.
I was guessing that they were checking all the shops on the street to see if the Arab had planted any bombs prior to being apprehended.
Our security forces stepped up to the mark
once again. Had the young Arab been able to enter the tram I do not want to think of the results.
Thanks to our brave men and women in Israel, we are blessed avoid the large scale slaughter that has been taken place in Europe and America. They know what to
look for and do not hesitate to challenge anyone who they think is a
danger.
Here are a few pictures of the scene:
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| Magen David Ambuland & Dog (Picture: TAB) |
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| IDF Arriving (Picture: TAB) |
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| Job Well Done (Picture: TAB) |
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