Police crack east J'lem terror cells

Multiple arrests made in connection with 3 Silwan attacks.

By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFF
silwan protest arabs 311 (photo credit: AP)
silwan protest arabs 311
(photo credit: AP)
A investigation launched after a series of violent demonstrations in Silwan has resulted in a series of east Jerusalem arrests, Jerusalem police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced Monday morning.
Three unsolved cases of shooting attacks in the region were cracked as part of the probe. Multiple arrests were made, and confessions were taken by police.
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Three arrests were made on May 30, in connection with an attack on a car in Silwan on March 3 in which a settler from Beit Yehonotan was wounded.
Issa Abassi, 25, Taed Fataafta, 26 and Mussa Fataafta, 24, all from Jabal Mukabar, were arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack.
Abassi confessed that on March 1, the Fataafta brothers opened fire on a passing car, while he carried out surveillance in the area. Taed surrender the weapon that was used in the attack, as well as another pistol, both of which underwent forensic analysis.
In a second attack, which took place on May 2 this year, a security jeep from the City of David was attacked and one guard was injured. Seven suspects from Silwan were arrested in connection with the incident, in which terrorists spilled oil on the road, hid with rocks and Molotov cocktails and ambushed the car.
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In a March 16 attack, a police officer was injured in a shooting at Ras al-Amud.
According to confessions taken as part of the investigation, a group of local Israeli Arabs had decided to perpetrate the attack during demonstrations against the re-opening of the Hurva synagogue in the Old City.
Weapons were surrendered in line with the investigation.
Security officials noted that the arrests underlined the increasing occurrence of east Jerusalem Arabs being involved in violent terrorist attacks.