Jerusalem: Israeli security forces on Monday intercepted a boat on the Dead Sea carrying two Palestinians along with assault rifles, ammunition magazines and other unspecified weapons, the military said.
The military did not provide other details but said they were treating the incident as an attempted weapons-smuggling operation and not as an attempted militant attack. Army Radio described the vessel as a rubber dinghy.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the arrests capped a weekslong police operation. He identified the arrested men as West Bank Palestinians in their 40s.
The Dead Sea borders Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. It is only lightly patrolled and there is little boat traffic there.
While Israeli authorities say the lake is a known route for drug smugglers, boats ferrying weapons have only rarely been stopped there.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, July 25, 2011, 16:18