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Israel enters Jenin in bid to prevent new suicide bombings

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Friday, October 25, 2002

JERUSALEM Ñ Israel's military has entered a northern West Bank city in a search operation for Palestinian insurgents and weaponry.

Israeli infantry, tanks and armored vehicles entered Jenin on early Friday in what was termed the largest operation in the area in months. The Israeli force was said to have embarked on an effort to capture at least 20 Palestinian insurgents and weapons amid plans to carry out suicide missions in the Jewish state.

A senior Israeli military commander said the Jenin incursion was the result of a Palestinian suicide attack on an Israeli bus in which 14 passengers were killed on Monday. The commander said the bombing revived Palestinian efforts in Jenin to resume suicide missions from the northern West Bank.

"Our intelligence indicates that the bombing encouraged the terrorist cell in Jenin which is now rearming and winning new recruits," the commander said. "Recently we eased off Jenin and got the bombing in return. Given the new developments we have to go in massively despite the attendant discomforts to the locals."

The commander said the military plans to deploy throughout the Jenin area and renew a curfew on the city. At the same time, troops will search for an insurgency cell believed to comprise about 20 members. The Jenin area has 250,000 residents.

The current military incursion, which has so far met light resistance, has been dubbed "Operation Vanguard" and involves scores of armored vehicles, military sources said. They termed this the largest Israeli operation in the West Bank since the entry into Nablus in August. The previous operation was launched after seven people were killed in a Palestinian bombing of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Palestinian sources said Israel's military is expected to withdraw from the Palestinian Authority-controlled area of Hebron. The sources said the withdrawal will take place from 80 percent of the city and PA officers will assume security responsibility in the area.

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