Israel uncovers illegal Palestinian weapons-making network

Published 6:51 am Tuesday, August 23, 2016

JERUSALEM — Israel has uncovered an illegal Palestinian weapons manufacturing network in the West Bank in one of its largest raids during a months-long crackdown on illicit arms, the military said Tuesday.

Since the start of the year, Israel has seized dozens of weapons, shuttered arms-making factories and arrested weapons dealers in a clampdown in the West Bank meant to quell a spate of Palestinian violence.

The military said that the latest raid overnight found seven weapons factories, 22 weapons-making machines and dozens of arms, which it said was a significant haul since it began targeting illegal weapons manufacturers. Among the seized arms were crude guns based on the Swedish “Carl Gustav” submachine gun, which the military says has been a preferred weapon for Palestinian attackers.

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