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Israelis capture Hamas cell suspected in missile attacks

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, June 26, 2006

TEL AVIV — After a lull of several weeks, Israel's military has resumed ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

On Saturday, an Israeli special operations force captured two Hamas operatives in the southern Gaza Strip. A military statement said the two detainees were part of a Hamas cell in the "final stages of preparing a large scale terror attack in the coming days."

"The two were taken for questioning by security forces and are currently under investigation," the statement said.

Officials said the two detainees were accused of participating in Palestinian missile fire toward Israel. They said the capture of the Palestinians and their transfer to Israel were conducted without gunfire.

The Israeli incursion was the first in the southern Gaza Strip since the withdrawal from the Palestinian Authority in September 2005. On May 30, Israeli special forces entered the northern Gaza Strip to prevent a Palestinian missile launch.

Palestinian sources identified the detainees as Mustafa and Omar Muamar, who live outside the Rafah refugee camp. The sources said Israeli forces also took the computer from the Muamar house.

Omar was said to be a physician who returned to the Gaza Strip from Sudan. Over the last 15 years, Sudan has been training Hamas operatives.

On late Saturday, Palestinian gunners fired two Kassam-class, short-range missiles into Israel. Both fell around the Israeli city of Sderot. No injuries were reported.


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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