Shin Bet: Terror cell planned to bomb train

Security forces: Palestinians arrested in Dec. also planned to ambush IDF convoys, bomb H'way 60.

By YAAKOV KATZ
IDF arrest pal 298.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
IDF arrest pal 298.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
In a joint operation, the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrested in December of last year five Palestinian terror suspects who allegedly planned to plant an explosive device along the train tracks between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Shin Bet announced Thursday. The arrests were made after the IDF discovered an Islamic Jihad bomb laboratory with a ready-made explosive device in the village of Nahlin near Bethlehem. During the interrogation that followed, the detainees admitted that they had planned a number of attacks against Israel, including planting explosives on the tracks near the settlement of Batire in the Bethlehem area. Other planned attacks included planting bombs along Highway 60, which runs from Jerusalem to Gush, and ambushes on IDF convoys during which the group hoped to steal the soldiers' weapons after surprising them with grenades. The members of the cell said that they learned how to make bombs on the Internet, where they also purchased the ingredients and tried to collect funds to finance their activities. The lab was found on December 17, 2007, and housed chemical components that were being used to assemble bombs. Following its discovery, it was destroyed by the IDF. After interrogating the suspects, the IDF raided the home of Assam Mamar in Bethlehem, where they discovered an explosive device inside an eight kilogram fire extinguisher, 25 kilograms of potassium nitrate, a prime ingredient for making explosives. Security forces also found a cell phone detonation system, as well as discs that had documented previous experiments the suspects conducted when making bombs.