A planned terrorist attack targeting Beersheba’s central bus station was thwarted by Israeli security forces, after four Arab-Israeli men were arrested for allegedly conspiring to carry out attacks against civilians and security personnel.

The suspects were arrested during operations conducted in May and June, but news of their detention remained under a court-imposed gag order until Friday, when the Israel Police, the Shin Bet security agency, and the State Prosecutor’s Office announced that indictments had been filed against the four men.

According to the joint statement, all four suspects are residents of Segev Shalom — known in Arabic as Shaqib al-Salam — a Bedouin town near Beersheba in Israel’s southern Negev region.