Police Insp.-Gen. Yohanan Danino presented seven Border Police officers and their commander with awards Monday for recently preventing a series of terrorist attacks in the West Bank.

The officers, who serve under Border Police company commander Dep.- Cmdr. Avi Biton, foiled no fewer than four attacks in the Tapuah Junction area of the West Bank in under a month.

“At a time when police are under intense public scrutiny, officers are continuing their difficult, uncompromising, challenging work, including the field... of counterterrorism,” Danino said during the awards ceremony.

He also praised the officers for stopping terrorism “with courage and determination.”

The officers took part in the following lifesaving missions:

• On April 21, Border Police became suspicious of two Palestinians and carried out a search, finding four pipe bombs, a handgun and other ammunition.

• On May 3, the officers intercepted two pipe bombs and knives being ferried by two Palestinians.

• On May 6, a Palestinian suspect was caught with three pipe bombs. Police believe he was going to pass the pipe bombs to a second suspect on the other side of the checkpoint. Both were arrested.

• On May 10, two suspects carrying three pipe bombs and large knives were arrested.

In each incident, bomb squad officers arrived at the scene and made the devices safe.

“There is undoubtedly a rise in the number of incidents in this area,” a Border Police source told The Jerusalem Post.

“But the awareness of our officers is stopping the attacks.” (© 1995- 2011, The Jerusalem Post 05/15/12)