The IDF\'s anti-terrorism operations continued today, along with intelligence warnings of planned terrorist attacks. An IDF helicopter fired a missile at a car - inside Area A, east of Tul Karem - carrying three terrorists on their way to carry out a major murderous attack; two passengers were killed, and IDF forces captured the other. One of the two killed was Yasser A-Sira, who murdered Harel Bin-Nun and Shlomo Libman while they were guarding Yitzhar in August 1998. This was apparently the cell that caused the security forces to declare an alert in the Sharon region (Netanya, Ra\'anana, etc.) for the past few days.
As a result of today\'s successful mission, defense officials have decided to relax some of the traffic restrictions in the area. A senior IDF officer said that the presence of the Israeli forces in PA-controlled areas prevented many attacks. He emphasized, however, that there is no intention to remain in these areas, and that \"sooner or later the forces will be withdrawn.\" Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said earlier this week that every day we remain in Area A \"saves Israel twenty deaths.\"
In another incident, an undercover Border Guard unit abducted a leading Hamas operative, Omar Jabarin, from his home in a village west of Shechem this morning. Yesterday, the army stopped a suicide bomber on his way to exploding himself, arrested several others, and killed a highly-wanted terrorist with a missile; two others were killed in battles with IDF forces.
There was fighting this morning between IDF forces and Palestinian gunmen in two areas near Jenin, in the northern Shomron... Two people were wounded in an explosion near Shaked, in the upper Shomron... Arabs opened fire on an IDF patrol near Rafiach...
As a result of today\'s successful mission, defense officials have decided to relax some of the traffic restrictions in the area. A senior IDF officer said that the presence of the Israeli forces in PA-controlled areas prevented many attacks. He emphasized, however, that there is no intention to remain in these areas, and that \"sooner or later the forces will be withdrawn.\" Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said earlier this week that every day we remain in Area A \"saves Israel twenty deaths.\"
In another incident, an undercover Border Guard unit abducted a leading Hamas operative, Omar Jabarin, from his home in a village west of Shechem this morning. Yesterday, the army stopped a suicide bomber on his way to exploding himself, arrested several others, and killed a highly-wanted terrorist with a missile; two others were killed in battles with IDF forces.
There was fighting this morning between IDF forces and Palestinian gunmen in two areas near Jenin, in the northern Shomron... Two people were wounded in an explosion near Shaked, in the upper Shomron... Arabs opened fire on an IDF patrol near Rafiach...