It seems the nice fellows of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, under orders from their leadership in Damascus, and with the tacit approval of the deceptively named Palestinian Authority, were planning a series suicide bombings in Israel.
PIJ will need to find some new planners.
Note that there appears to be no basis for Palestinian claims that these guys were involved in the recent attack on the Yeshiva Mercaz Harav in Yerushalayim.
Senior Islamic Jihad Terror Operative Killed During Arrest Operation
IDF 12 March 2008 13:42Saleh Amar Saleh Karkoor, age 26, a senior terror operative was killed this morning during a joint IDF, ISA and Border Police arrest operation in Seida, southwest of Jenin. Border Police special forces and the Nachal Brigade Patrol Battalion surrounded the building where Karkoor was hiding and called, multiple times, for him to evacuate the building. After no response was given, the forces resorted to using various means to prompt him to exit the building. During the operation fire was opened towards the forces and explosive devices were activated against them. The forces returned fire and identified hitting Karkoor.
One AK-47 Assault Rifle, a number of explosive devices and a number of ammunition clips were uncovered on his person. The weapons were detonated in a controlled manner by sappers.
Karkoor has been extremely active in the Islamic Jihad terror organization since the 1990s. On January 25, 2002, Karkoor was arrested following a suicide bombing in Tel- Aviv in which 23 civilians were injured. He confessed to having accommodated the two bombers at his house, to his involvement in terror activity and the recruiting of suicide bombers.
During the past weeks he was involved in planning suicide bombings along with other Islamic Jihad operatives.
Meanwhile, in Betlehem, a unit from YAMAM just happened to be in a position beside a road when a car with four high quality targets just happened to be driving by. Such a coincidence! Baruch Hashem.
Four Islamic Jihad Terrorists Killed by IDF Forces in Bethlehem
IDF, 12 March 2008 21:16During a joint IDF and Border Police arrest operation that took place this evening in Bethlehem, Border Police Special Forces identified several Palestinian gunmen in a vehicle. The forces fired at the vehicle and confirmed killing four gunmen. An MP5 and two M16 rifles were found on their persons. The four were senior wanted terrorists belonging to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization
One of gunmen who was killed during the activity was Muhamad Sh'ahade Abed Ta'amari, age 45, head of the Islamic Jihad in Bethlehem. Abed Ta'amari was involved in several terrorist attacks in which many Israeli civilians were wounded and killed, including the car bombing on Shomeron St. in Jerusalem on November 2, 2000 which killed two civilians. He was also involved in the March 27, 2001 car bombing on Talpiyot St. in Jerusalem in which five civilians were wounded; the December 5, 2001 suicide bombing in the Hilton hotel in Jerusalem in which six civilians were wounded; the March 17, 2002 suicide bombing in the French Hill neighborhood in Jerusalem in which 31 civilians were wounded and the April 1, 2002 shooting attack in the Har Home neighborhood in Jerusalem in which an IDF soldier was killed.
The three other wanted terrorists, Ahmed Halil Salem Balbul, age 48, Imad Hasin Mahmud Camel, age 35, and Isa Marzuk Saleh Zuhara, age 36, were a part of the Islamic Jihad leadership in Bethlehem and were also involved in extensive terrorist activity since the beginning of the Intifada.
Muhamad Sh'ahada and the Islamic Jihad in Bethlehem were in direct contact with the Islamic Jihad leadership in Syria from which they received operational orders.