J'lem-bus-bombing terror cell arrested
The 6 members of the terrorist cell responsible for last month's suicide attack have been apprehended by the Shin Bet; they had intended to carry out a series of further attacks.
The Hamas cell that carried out the suicide attack on the Jerusalem public bus contained six militants and intended to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in and around Jerusalem, including suicide, shooting, and car-bombing attacks, it has been revealed in the Shin Bet investigation.
The cell specifically recruited Abed al-Hamid Abu Srour to carry out the suicide attack, and one of the cell's members even helped him to write his will and filmed him before the attack.
A month following the suicide attack on bus number 12, additional details have been released by the Shin Bet following their investigation. The Jerusalem attack injured 20 civilians, and the 19-year-old bomber from Bethlehem was mortally wounded and later died from his wounds in the hospital.
The Shin Bet explained that this cell was local and not externally managed. The arrested Hamas operatives, all from the Bethlehem area, are Muhammad Sami al-Hameed Al-Ezza, 26, Muhammad Issa Mahmoud Al-Barbari, 26, Muhammad Majdi Mustafa al-Ezza, 21, Ahmed Muhammad Mahmoud Mashaikh, 19, Ali Ahmed Muhammad Arouj, 30, and Said Osama Issa Harmas, 30.
Al-Hameed Al-Ezza and Al-Barbari were also allegedly involved in a shooting attack in 2015 that caused no casualties. Three of them served previous prison terms for involvement in terrorist activity.
The cell had organized in recent months with an aim to carrying out a series of terrorist attacks. They sought to recruit other terrorists to carry out suicide attacks.
The explosive device used in the Jerusalem bus attack was built by one of the cell's members from over-the-counter products that could be easily purchased, and that same member learned how to prepare the device online. The other members helped him by purchasing the products.
TPS contributed to this report.
