Israeli security forces apprehended a Palestinian terrorist, suspected of carrying out two drive-by shootings in Judea and Samaria.

According to security officials, a 32-year-old Palestinian man was apprehended in the home of one of his alleged accomplices in the village of Abu Shukheidim, close to Ramallah. According to Debkafile, the terrorist was found with a “Kalashnikov rifle, a cache of ammunition and night-vision goggles. It was thought he was planning to carry out further attacks.

“Following intelligence and operational activity, [Israeli security forces] arrested… the terrorist who perpetrated the 13 December 2018 attack at Givat Assaf,” a statement from the Israel Security Agency (ISA) said Tuesday.

The assailant was wanted in connection with two separate drive-by shooting attacks in Judea and Samaria; the first occurred at the Ofra junction, in which a heavily pregnant woman – Shira Ish-Ran – was critically wounded. She was apparently deliberately targeted in the attack and her unborn son was delivered 9 weeks early by emergency Cesarean section. Her son, Amiad, died only three days after his untimely delivery.

In the second attack, the Palestinian terrorist perpetrated another drive-by shooting at the Givat Assaf bus stop. Two soldiers were killed at the scene, while a two others, including Netanel Ferber, remains critically wounded in hospital.

According to a report on i24 News, the assailant was “previously imprisoned by Israel for eleven years for security offenses, including reportedly planning to kidnap soldiers. He was released from prison ten months ago.”

The suspected murderer comes from a criminal family; his brother, who also took part in the Ofra attack and was shot dead by Israeli security forces following a four-day manhunt in December last year. Both their father and uncle also have terrorist convictions.