BICOM

Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency said yesterday that in a joint operation with the IDF, it had recently uncovered two terror cells which had already carried out shooting attacks in the West Bank.

The announcement said that arrests had been made during December and January without disclosing exactly how many suspects had been apprehended. One of the cells, affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror group was arrested in Beit Rima, near Ramallah. It had already carried out attacks against Israeli vehicles and an IDF position in the vicinity. According to the Shin Bet, “The members of the cell confessed to their intention to carry out more attacks, including a combined gun and pipe bomb attack on an IDF base, stabbings against soldiers, and kidnapping a soldier.”

The second cell, based near Hebron, carried out shooting attacks on Israeli vehicles travelling near Kiryat Arba. The Shin Bet commented, “The suspects turned in a gun, a rifle, and ammunition hidden in one of the suspect’s homes.”

Military prosecutors will charge the suspects within the coming days. Shin Bet said the arrests underscored the motivation and threat posed by local terror groups. Earlier this week, in a separate case, the Shin Bet said it had thwarted an 11-strong Hamas cell near Hebron, which had already carried out an unsuccessful attack in a Hebron neighbourhood. The cell had also collected data in advance of further planned attacks in Jerusalem and Hebron with several cell members having agreed to be suicide bombers.

Meanwhile, yesterday IDF soldiers prevented a Palestinian from stabbing soldiers at the Gush Etzion junction in the West Bank. The junction has been the location for previous terror stabbings and is the spot from which three Israeli teenagers were abducted before their eventual murder last summer. Yesterday’s attacker was arrested and taken for questioning. There were no injuries due to the incident.