by Lilach Shoval
Three Arab Israelis from the northern town of Umm al-Fahm are arrested on suspicion of planning a shooting attack inside the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem
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The Temple Mount in
Jerusalem
Photo: AFP
Three
Arab Israelis from the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm were arrested
in early September on suspicion of planning a shooting attack inside the
Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem, the Shin Bet security
agency revealed Thursday.
Said Ghasoub Mahmoud Jabareen, 26, and
Firas Saleh Mahmoud Muhajanah, 24, who identify as Islamic State
sympathizers, were arrested on suspicion of "support for the Islamic
State terrorist group's murderous ideology, which inspired their planned
attack," the Shin Bet said in a statement.
A third suspect, 16, was arrested as an accomplice.
The three were arrested following a joint
Shin Bet-Israel Police investigation, which concluded that Jabareen and
the minor had planned to carry out a shooting attack on the Temple
Mount, similar to the July 14 terrorist attack in which two policemen were murdered at the holy site.
Security forces who raided the suspects'
homes seized two guns and ammunition, allegedly meant to be used in the
attack. The raid on Muhajanah's home yielded a Carl Gustav submachine
gun.
During their interrogation, the suspects
confessed to supporting Islamic State's radical ideology, which they
said inspired them to plan the attack.
The three's arrests implicated several arms dealers operating in the Umm
al-Fahm area. Several suspects were arrested and a number of illegal
weapons were seized as well.
Shin Bet security agency
"The investigation indicated that shortly
after the murderous Temple Mount attack in July 2017, three residents of
Umm al-Fahm began planning a similar attack at the site," a senior Shin
Bet official told Israel Hayom.
"Thanks to accurate intelligence, the Shin
Bet was able to arrest the members of this cell before they could carry
out this serious attack," he said.
He stressed that the Shin Bet views Israeli
Islamic State sympathizers and anyone who maintains contacts with the
jihadi group's operatives outside Israel or who operate under the
auspices of the organization on Israeli soil as a serious security
threat.
Defense officials said Tuesday that dozens
of planned Islamic State attacks around the world have been thwarted in
the recent past thanks to intelligence gathered by Israel and shared
with other countries, saving scores of lives.
Lilach Shoval
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2017/09/28/israel-foils-isis-inspired-attack-at-jerusalem-holy-site/
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