IDF soldiers bust bomb-making lab in Samaria city of Tulkarem

Israeli security forces dismantled an explosives manufacturing lab in the western Samaria city of Tulkarem during an intelligence-led raid over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday.

Soldiers discovered a cache of weapons and materials used to produce bombs, including over 110 pounds of explosive material and around 200 pipe bombs, according to the military.

The IDF said troops also found fire extinguishers rigged for use as explosive charges and large gas cylinders that could be deployed as “explosive devices intended to target armored vehicles.”

“The explosives made in the lab were intended to target IDF soldiers operating in Judea and Samaria and to be used for carrying out terror attacks against Israeli civilians. The laboratory had been operating prior to the start of the IDF’s counter-terrorism activity in northern Samaria,” stated the army.

Israeli forces have been conducting operations in the region for more than a year, seizing weapons, ammunition and explosives used by local terrorist cells, the statement noted.

The military vowed to continue operations aimed at preventing terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces.

The IDF intensified its raids in Samaria following the failed Feb. 20, 2025, bus bombings near Tel Aviv. Three empty buses exploded, and bombs were found on two others in a coordinated terrorist attack. At least one of the bombs reportedly bore a note, in Arabic and Hebrew, that stated: “Revenge from the Tulkarem refugee camp.”

Counter-terrorism raids in Tulkarem have since led to the discovery of several labs to manufacture IEDs, including roadside explosive devices and pipe bombs, as well as a site for the production of suicide drones.