Posted on 05/02/2005 1:05:25 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
An IDF soldier was killed during a raid early Monday morning near Saide, north of Tulkarm, as soldiers pursued wanted Islamic Jihad members, details released for publication revealed.
Palestinians opened fire at paratroopers crossing an open area heading toward the village. One of the soldiers sustained major head injuries despite wearing a helmet. Soldiers returned fire, killing Shafik Abdul A'ani, one of the two fugitives.
Abdul Fatah Radad, the second fugitive, was wounded in the firefight and succeeded in fleeing the area, but was later caught.
The critically wounded soldier was airlifted to Tel Hashomer Medical Center, but died shortly after. A second soldier was lightly wounded in the arm.
A'ani, 38, was one of the most senior Islamic Jihad operatives in the Tulkarm area. He was responsible for planning the February 25 bombing at the Stage nightclub in Tel Aviv that killed five Israelis.
A'ani retained close ties with Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus. Detained by the Palestinian Authority after the Stage bombing, A'ani and fellow suspect Ahmed Zaki escaped from a Tulkarm prison ten days ago.
The Tulkarm area was handed over to PA security control in March. Israeli security officials said that despite assurances to disarm fugitives, nothing has been done and other Islamic Jihad fugitives - including those involved in the Stage nightclub bombing - continue to operate in the area.
Monday morning's incident occurred less than 24 hours after security forces arrested a 19-year-old would-be suicide bomber on Sunday in Danabe, near Tulkarm.
The youth had already recorded the video that was meant to be aired after the successful completion of the planned terror attack. The youth was a member of the same cell that planned and carried out the bombing at the Stage nightclub.
Terrorist? What's a terrorist? Isn't that what Zaqawri used to be before he became an activist?
May 2nd, 2005
BACKGROUND INFORMATION [Distributed by the IDF Spokesperson's Office] Attributed to "security sources" IDF soldier killed, another wounded during arrest activity
An IDF soldier was killed and an IDF soldier was lightly wounded in a joint IDF and ISA activity to arrest wanted Islamic Jihad operatives in the Tulkarm area. Islamic Jihad terrorist Shafik A-Aani, one of the chief planners of the suicide bombing at the "Stage" nightclub in Tel-Aviv, was killed.
During the IDF and ISA activity an IDF force approached the area where two wanted terrorists were located. The terrorists identified the force and opened fire at it. The IDF force returned fire, killing one of the terrorists and wounding the second terrorist, who managed to escape.
The terrorist who was killed, Shafik Aadel Mustafa A-Aani, was one of the most senior Islamic Jihad terrorists in the Tulkarm region, and one of the chief planners of the suicide bombing at the "Stage" nightclub in Tel-Aviv on 25th February, 2005, in which 5 Israeli civilians were killed and 49 Israelis were wounded. He was in direct contact and received orders from the Islamic Jihad headquarters in Syria.
A-Aani, 38, was a resident of the village of Tzeida.
After the suicide bombing at the "Stage" nightclub in Tel-Aviv, A-Aani was arrested by the Palestinian Authority and jailed. However, he escaped a week and a half ago, while armed and with no particular difficulty, and returned to his village.
Islamic Jihad terrorists have been operating throughout the "period of quiet" to try to carry out terrorist attacks inside Israel and against Israeli civilians.
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