In what appears to be a well planned operation targeting Israeli security forces, a Palestinian suicide bomber Wednesday morning injured two Israelis, one of them intelligence officer.
Israel Radio quoted unnamed Palestinian sources describing the attack as "a well-timed, well-coordinated attack against Israeli security forces personnel."
Israel's Army Radio reported that the Palestinian came supposedly to meet his Israeli “operators” from the Shin Beit (Israeli General Intelligence Service), near a bridge on the road between the Arab cities of Taibeh and Tira, not far from the Palestinian city of Tulkarem. The meeting took place in a Volkswagen van owned by the Shin Beit.
When the meeting started the Palestinian activated the bomb. He was immediately killed. The two Shin Beit officers were injured and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Later, Palestinian sources identified the bomber as Murad Abu al Asal, 22, from the village of Anabta, near the city of Tulkarem. These sources say he was known to be a collaborator with the Israeli security agencies.
The Palestinians view the attack as "very prestigious, a high-quality attack against Israeli security forces."
Jerusalem Attack
Meanwhile, Palestinian security sources Wednesday identified the woman bomber who carried out the Sunday suicide attack in downtown Jerusalem as a 23-year-old West Bank resident affiliated with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, Israel Radio reported.
Quoting unnamed Palestinian security sources, the bomber was identified as Wafa Idris of the Al-Amari refugee camp near Ramallah, north of Jerusalem.
One man was killed and nearly 150 injured in the Sunday attack. The bomber, also killed, was believed to be the first woman to have carried out such an attack.
Police officials have said they were unable to determine whether the incident was a suicide bombing, or if the woman had intended to leave the bomb in a crowded area of Jaffa Street and flee the area before it exploded. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
