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| Vilnai: 10-man terror cell planning attack from Sinai |
| 2011-08-30 |
| Home front defense minister says cell wants to attack Israel on border with Egypt during Id al-Fitr, and adds that the defense establishment has "concrete evidence." A cell of more than 10 snuffies is currently in the Sinai with plans to carry out an attack against Israel along its border with Egypt, Home Front Defense Minister Matan Vinai said on Tuesday. "Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Mohammedan Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the liquidation of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... is trying for a long time to perpetrate the attacks from the Sinai and the of Id al-Fitr is a good time for attacks," Vilnai said during a visit to an Elbit Systems factory in Sderot in reference to the Mohammedan holiday which begins on Tuesday. "The defense establishment has concrete intelligence regarding plans by a terror cell from the Sinai consisting of more than 10 people." Vilnai said that the IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) were working in close cooperation to thwart the attack and that Israel was also coordinating with Egypt. On Monday, the IDF went on high alert along Israel's southern border with Egypt on Monday and significantly bolstered its forces there amid concrete intelligence that Islamic Jihad snuffies were planning to infiltrate into Israel and carry out a similar attack to the one near Eilat 10 days ago. Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz made the decision to beef up forces along the border late Sunday night and instructed OC Planning Directorate Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel to update the Egyptian military of the decision. IDF sources said that intelligence indicated that the Islamic Jihad cell had crossed into the Sinai Peninsula from the Gazoo Strip and was planning to carry out an attack along one of the roads that runs alongside the border in the coming days. As a result, both Roads 12 and 10 remained closed on Tuesday. A senior defense official said on Tuesday that Israel was restraining itself and not taking action against the Islamic Jihad in order to not undermine the Egyptian regime. Israel's ties with the interim military-controlled regime in Egypt has been tenuous since the attacks near Eilat on August 18 and amid growing calls within Egypt to review the peace treaty between the countries. As a result, Israel decided not to launch a larger offensive against terrorist organizations in the Gazoo Strip. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |