The intended bomber, from Shechem, was a member of PLO leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah and received orders from the Hizbullah in Lebanon.
The plot was revealed when a suspicious vehicle was stopped by soldiers in the Shomron near the community of Migdalim on Monday. A 10-kilogram bomb the vehicle occupants were carrying was learned to be intended for the Fatah suicide bomber, who planned to enter Jerusalem at the A-Ram Checkpoint area. On Tuesday night, the suicide bomber and an accomplice were taken into custody in the northern Jerusalem area. The courier, also imprisoned, received NIS 500 for transporting the bomb into Jerusalem; it was being carried in a student's knapsack.
IDF sources report 80% of terror warnings originate from the would-be suicide bomber's hometown of Shechem, with Fatah Tanzim terrorists as the perpetrators. In response, Shechem became the target of a large ongoing counterterrorist operation today.
The IDF forces, including elite units, entered the Palestinian Authority area during the night with the intention of arresting wanted suspects, and uncovering explosives and weapons. The focus of the operation is in the Casba and Balata areas. A curfew has been imposed and leaflets were distributed calling on the populace to turn in persons involved in terrorist activities. Among other results of the operation, a 20-kilogram bomb vest was found in a home. The vest was detonated without injuries, but it led to the collapse of the building. Soldiers also neutralized a bomb intended to kill them, came under automatic weapons fire and, later, a firebomb attack. There were no injuries to IDF troops.
In other preventative actions, IDF soldiers shot dead two terrorists detected approaching a military outpost protecting the northern Gaza community of Dugit. The terrorists, members of the Islamic Jihad, were dressed in IDF uniforms. Despite the attack, the Dugit-area crossing point (out of the Palestinian Authority) was to reopen this afternoon, according to IDF Lt.-Col. Yossi Hadad. In southern Gaza last night, IDF troops shot and killed a terrorist as he attempted to place a bomb near the community of Bedolach.
In a related effort, border police operating in the southern district today arrested 180 PA residents found to be inside pre-1967 Green Line Israel without legal permits. Of those arrested, 42 were previously banned from crossing the Green Line under any circumstances. Meanwhile, IDF troops operating in Hevron during the night apprehended a PA resident wanted for questioning for alleged terrorist activities.
These recent successes seem to confirm Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz's comments of June 22, 2004, that Arab terrorists' motivation to act has not diminished, but that Israeli security services have been increasingly successful. During the first half of 2004, Mofaz said, 103 terror attacks were prevented as a result of security forces acting on intelligence community warnings. He added that 2,000 PA residents suspected of terror activities were taken into custody, as were 58 suicide bombers, apprehended ahead of planned attacks.
As noted, terrorist efforts continue: Last night, the northern Gaza community of Alei Sinai was targeted in a Kassam rocket attack.... Early this morning, a mortar shell fired at Jewish communities in Gaza landed in an area under PA control in the area of the Karnei-Netzarim road.... A bomb was detonated near the Gush Katif community of Morag. No injuries were reported in any of the bombings, but there were reports of damage.
The plot was revealed when a suspicious vehicle was stopped by soldiers in the Shomron near the community of Migdalim on Monday. A 10-kilogram bomb the vehicle occupants were carrying was learned to be intended for the Fatah suicide bomber, who planned to enter Jerusalem at the A-Ram Checkpoint area. On Tuesday night, the suicide bomber and an accomplice were taken into custody in the northern Jerusalem area. The courier, also imprisoned, received NIS 500 for transporting the bomb into Jerusalem; it was being carried in a student's knapsack.
IDF sources report 80% of terror warnings originate from the would-be suicide bomber's hometown of Shechem, with Fatah Tanzim terrorists as the perpetrators. In response, Shechem became the target of a large ongoing counterterrorist operation today.
The IDF forces, including elite units, entered the Palestinian Authority area during the night with the intention of arresting wanted suspects, and uncovering explosives and weapons. The focus of the operation is in the Casba and Balata areas. A curfew has been imposed and leaflets were distributed calling on the populace to turn in persons involved in terrorist activities. Among other results of the operation, a 20-kilogram bomb vest was found in a home. The vest was detonated without injuries, but it led to the collapse of the building. Soldiers also neutralized a bomb intended to kill them, came under automatic weapons fire and, later, a firebomb attack. There were no injuries to IDF troops.
In other preventative actions, IDF soldiers shot dead two terrorists detected approaching a military outpost protecting the northern Gaza community of Dugit. The terrorists, members of the Islamic Jihad, were dressed in IDF uniforms. Despite the attack, the Dugit-area crossing point (out of the Palestinian Authority) was to reopen this afternoon, according to IDF Lt.-Col. Yossi Hadad. In southern Gaza last night, IDF troops shot and killed a terrorist as he attempted to place a bomb near the community of Bedolach.
In a related effort, border police operating in the southern district today arrested 180 PA residents found to be inside pre-1967 Green Line Israel without legal permits. Of those arrested, 42 were previously banned from crossing the Green Line under any circumstances. Meanwhile, IDF troops operating in Hevron during the night apprehended a PA resident wanted for questioning for alleged terrorist activities.
These recent successes seem to confirm Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz's comments of June 22, 2004, that Arab terrorists' motivation to act has not diminished, but that Israeli security services have been increasingly successful. During the first half of 2004, Mofaz said, 103 terror attacks were prevented as a result of security forces acting on intelligence community warnings. He added that 2,000 PA residents suspected of terror activities were taken into custody, as were 58 suicide bombers, apprehended ahead of planned attacks.
As noted, terrorist efforts continue: Last night, the northern Gaza community of Alei Sinai was targeted in a Kassam rocket attack.... Early this morning, a mortar shell fired at Jewish communities in Gaza landed in an area under PA control in the area of the Karnei-Netzarim road.... A bomb was detonated near the Gush Katif community of Morag. No injuries were reported in any of the bombings, but there were reports of damage.