by Anna Aharonheim
Police caught the two suspects, 19-year-old As’sad al-Rafai and 20-year-old Emad Subhi Abu Shqeir, alive in a forested area in Israel.
 |
Israeli security forces capturing the two terrorists who carried
out an attack in Elad on May 5 that left three dead, May 8, 2022.
(photo credit: SCREENSHOT ACCORDING TO 27A OF COPYRIGHT ACT)
|
Israeli security forces caught the two terrorists who carried out a deadly attack in Elad, four days after they went on a rampage in the city.
IDF forces, Shin Bet officers and police caught the two suspects 19-year-old As’sad al-Rifai and 20-year-old Emad Subhi Abu Shqeir, both from Rumana in the Jenin area of the West Bank, alive in a forested area close to Elad near Park Nahshonim.
Initial reports that Israeli security forces have caught the terrorists who killed 3 civilians in Elad last week. They were caught alive
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) May 8, 2022
They were located after a massive manhunt where security forces including special forces from the IDF’s commando units, advanced technologies including intelligence, canine units and helicopters.
On Saturday a force consisting of Shin Bet officers as well as troops from the IDF’s Maglan commando unit and Mirol Reserve Unit identified suspicious objects in the area, which led security forces to concentrate around a quarry. The force returned to the area on Sunday morning and identified suspicious movement and arrested the two.
The terrorists were unarmed.
Suspects in the Elad ax terrorist attack, 20-year-old Tzabahi Abu
Shakir (Left) and 19 year-old Assad al-Rafai (Right). (credit: ISRAEL
POLICE)In a video from the scene, al-Rifai is heard identifying himself and his accomplice Subhi Sbaihat. When asked by an officer what he was doing in the area, he answered “an operation, the Elad operation.” The officer asked what happened in the operation to which he answered “I don’t know exactly, we hit people.”
The three victims in the deadly attack on Thursday were identified as 44-year-old Yonatan Havakuk, a father of five, 40-year-old Boaz Gol, a father of five and 35 year-old Oren Ben Yiftach a father of six from Lod. Together they left behind 16 children.
At the opening of the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett extended his condolences to the families of the three victims and thanked the security forces for capturing the terrorists.
“We said we would get our hands on the terrorists, and so we did,” he said, adding that nevertheless, the capture of terrorists is no longer sufficient.
“We are at the beginning of a new stage in the war on terror - it is impossible to incite and rest. You can not throw a match and run away,” he warned, adding that “the greatest task of the Israeli government is to restore personal security to the citizens of Israel.”
Therefore, he said, “I instructed the National Security Council, in coordination with the Defense Ministry to present to the government an orderly and budgeted plan for the establishment of a national guard, by the end of the month.”
"I want to make it clear here that there is not, and will not be, any political consideration when it comes to the war on terror,” Bennett stressed.
Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev commended the security forces on the arrests, saying that “we will continue to pursue with determination our enemies all the time, and everywhere, and we will reach them. "
"I congratulate the security forces on capturing the two terrorists who committed the murder in Elad. In the last two days, the best forces in the police, the Shin Bet and the IDF have worked together to get their hands on them, and so it has happened. With determination, we seek our evil all the time, and everywhere, and we will reach them. "
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai arrived at the scene shortly after the arrest and thanked the security forces for their work.
"We said we would not be quiet or rest until we put our hand on them and so it was,” he said. Every terrorist knows that the long arm of the Israel Police and the entire security system will reach anyone who harms Israeli citizens. We are determined to continue the war on terror.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi praised the forces saying that just this morning he took part in a situational assessment about the manhunt.
“Over the past weekend, IDF forces worked together with the police and the Shin Bet, leading to the capture of the murderers. We will continue to work to stop terrorism and strengthen the security and sense of security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” he said.
Earlier in the day Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai was quoted by Ynet News as saying that "we're in the right direction overall - we assume that the terrorists are still in the area, and activating all their resources and abilities.”
Following their arrests, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem saluted the attackers, saying that “the heroes of the Elad operation stopped the Zionist entity that possesses nuclear weapons with just one foot and exposed the fragility of the Zionist security system.”
Anna Aharonheim
Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-706116
No comments:
Post a Comment