The Border Police and civilian police carried out a large scale operation Sunday night to net suspects in the terrorism that has turned life into a nightmare for Jewish motorists in Judea and Samaria in recent months. However, it appears that the swoop was mostly in response to fire bomb and explosive attacks against security forces.

Police said the operation was mounted after “a recent rise in rioting in Judea and Samaria.”

The arrests were carried out simultaneously in different locations, based on prior information. Most of the arrests took place in the villages of Abu Dis and El Azaria, east of Jerusalem. The villages are adjacent to the Mount of Olives and are situated between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim.

The operation involved about 200 Border Police under the command of Brig. Gen. Uzi Levi, and was fully coordinated with the IDF ‘s Judea and Samaria Division.

The police said that the suspects have already admitted to dozens of incidents in which they hurled rocks at security forces. In addition, the suspects have incriminated other people and more arrests can be expected.

The wave of arrests was mostly in response to an increase in the audacity of the terrorists, who began using improvised explosive charges and fire bombs against the security forces, said Brig. Gen. Levi.