| Security officials have not ruled out the possibility of an operation to capture wanted fugitives holed up in the Mukata compound in Ramallah, even as Palestinian Authority officials prepare to take control while awaiting news on the fate of ailing PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. The officials would not say whether such an operation is in the making. It is not clear how many fugitives, described as responsible for killing or wounding scores of Israelis, remain inside the building, but the officials agreed that they continue to plot and orchestrate attacks. Ever since Arafat was confined to his Ramallah headquarters some two years ago, fugitives, including members of the PA security forces, sought refuge in the building with his blessing, successfully evading attempts to capture them. They took advantage of the fact that, due to the sensitivity of the situation, the army refrained from taking action. At the time, the security establishment estimated that up to 50 fugitives were inside the compound, but estimates today are of a far smaller number. |