A Palestinian woman has blown herself up at a West Bank checkpoint, wounding at least three Israeli policemen, Israeli security sources and medical officials said.
Three Palestinians approached the checkpoint by car from the direction of Jerusalem. They tried to pass through the junction, which is manned by Israeli policemen, and attempted to enter Israeli territory.
An eye-witness said that as the vehicle approached the junction, the female suicide bomber got out of the car, with explosives strapped to her body. She detonated the explosives, wounding a one policeman at the junction.
In the car were two additional Palestinians who attempted to get out of the car, but were shot and wounded by the soldiers at the junction. Later it was reported that the two Palestinians died of their wounds. The suicide bomber was killed as a result of the explosion.
According to Israeli reports, the incident took place at the Maccabim junction, near the city of Modi'in. The car attempted to enter Israel through the Maccabim Junction. The car exploded after Israeli policemen did not allow it to pass through the junction.
This latest suicide bombing attack came after four Palestinians and one Israeli were killed in separate incidents.
Egyptian Border
Three armed Palestinians were reportedly killed Wednesday afternoon when they tried to infiltrate into Israel’s southern Negev Desert from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. After the gunbattle, an explosive device ready to carry out a suicide attack was discovered on the body of one of the Palestinians.
A patrol of Israeli military trackers discovered the infiltration and began to chase after the men during which a gunbattle erupted between the sides.
Two Israeli soldiers were lightly to moderately wounded in this gunbattle near Mount Kharif, located about halfway between the southern Gaza Strip and the Israeli port city of Eilat.
Also on Wednesday, a Palestinian was shot dead and two others wounded by Israeli forces in an exchange of fire at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. The dead Palestinian was identified as Imad al-Mograbi, 25.
Jerusalem
A Palestinian killed his Israeli employer, early Wednesday in a coffee factory in the Atarot industrial area, located north of Jerusalem and on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Ramallah.
An armed faction associated with Fatah – The Return Brigades - claimed responsibility for this attack.
Reports said the Palestinian, who had worked at the factory for about three years, walked into the employer's office and shot him twice in the head at close range, then fled the scene.
The Israeli army, police and Shin Bet personnel launched a manhunt for the attacker. Last Friday, an Israeli was killed near this industrial zone. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
