Israel Matzav

IDF foils kidnapping attempt near Karni crossing point; UPDATE: Suicide horses used

The IDF foiled an attempt by 'Palestinian' terrorists to kidnap a soldier near the Karni crossing point in the Gaza Strip this morning. Four terrorists were killed.

Israeli Defense Forces foiled a kidnapping attempt shortly after dawn Monday when Golani troops identified six to 10 terrorists armed with mortar shells and trying to cross the separation barrier near Karni under cover of early morning fog.

None of the Israeli soldiers was wounded. Air Force helicopters hovered over the area as the gun battle continued after the terrorists tried to use the shelling to trick the forces into looking for the launchers while other terrorists tried to infiltrate between Nahal Oz and Karni.

Helicopters attacks several terrorist targets, causing damage and injuries.

Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) director Yuval Diskin recently warned that Hamas’s reduction of rocket fire to near-zero is a tactical maneuver while it increases attacks at the separation barrier.

Sunrise here was around 5:33 this morning. At 8:10, Israel Radio was reporting that the battle was still going and that IDF helicopters had wounded at least two more terrorists.

There were also IDF helicopters in action against terrorists around Khan Yunis this morning (see map).

Unfortunately, the opportunity to finish off Hamas in January was missed, because The One did not want a war going on during his inauguration. Hopefully, we won't have to worry about that problem again.

UPDATE 3:48 PM

The terrorists (they claim it's not Hamas) used booby-trapped horses in this attack (see photo).

Under the cover of morning fog, a group of around 10 Palestinian gunmen armed with "huge amounts of explosives" launched a failed Gaza border assault at the Karni Crossing on Monday, in which booby-trapped horses were used, a security source told the Jerusalem Post.

...

The terror cell belonged to the Janud Ansar Allah (Soldiers Loyal to Allah) organization, a small group which is linked to Iran and Hizbullah, the security source added.

Members of the cell, some of whom had suicide bomb belts strapped around their bodies, led the horses off of trucks and began planting explosive devices along the fence. They were identified by IDF soldiers on patrol, of Golani's 13th Batallion. The gunmen proceeded to open fire on the troops, while mortar fire from deep within the Gaza Strip was also directed at the soldiers.

Soldiers returned fire, and called for backup. At first, tanks were dispatched to the scene, and fired on the terror cell. Air Force combat helicopters then joined the fight, also firing on terrorist targets from above.

"A very big terror attack was thwarted," the security source said. "These terrorists were armed with a huge quantity of explosives. They launched a combined attack, using mortars, and attempted to approach the border fence with booby trapped horses to harm our soldiers, before firing on our force."

"Hamas did not carry out this attack but they certainly provide general coverage for these small groups," the source continued, adding that it was too soon to know whether the cell had planned on kidnapping soldiers.

...

Ismail Haniyeh, who heads Gaza's Hamas government, praised the attackers as "martyrs," and said the violence confirmed Israel's "aggressive intentions" toward the Palestinians.

I wonder if PETA will have anything to say about this. They're usually more concerned with dead animals than with dead Jews.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:37 AM