By Elisha Ben Kimon

Copyright ynetnews

Two improvised rockets were uncovered Monday in a joint operation by the IDF, Shin Bet, and police, days after one was launched from the West Bank village of Ni’ma. The first device, fired last week, landed in the nearby village of Beit Ur al-Tahta, close to Route 443, a major highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli security officials said the projectile contained nonstandard explosives. The discovery of a second rocket— which did not contain explosives — during follow-up searches in Ni’ma heightened concerns within Israel’s defense establishment. Officials warned that terror groups are persistently trying to develop rocket capabilities in the West Bank, a threat that could endanger central Israel. “Border Police bomb disposal experts found the item and it is under investigation, alongside ongoing operational and intelligence efforts to dismantle the infrastructure,” the IDF said in a statement. The army noted that this was not the first time a rocket had been located in the West Bank. Security forces are continuing efforts to seize and destroy weapons workshops, seal off makeshift factories and track down other arms. The IDF said: “Security forces are working to confiscate and destroy lathes used for weapons production, seal off workshops and locate additional weapons in the area.”