Security forces break up terror cell that planned to attack Jerusalem's busy outdoor mall

Israel's security forces have broken up a Hamas terror cell that planned to attack Israel's generally crowded Mamilla mall outside Jerusalem's Old City (Hat Tip: Shy Guy).

The terrorist operatives, residents of Ramallah and Jerusalem, were arrested last month (August), and had planned their attacks to coincide the upcoming Jewish festive period of Rosh Hashana (New Year), Yom Kippur and Succot.

The cell leader has been named as Hamdi Hasnin Hamdi Rumana, 24, from the Ramallah/El Bireh area.

During his interrogation, security services uncovered a weapons and explosives laboratory in Rumana's home, along with bomb-assembly instructions, and discovered that he had been in contact with a Hamas technical expert from Beituniye, as well as two residents of Ramallah, who had provided him with the chemicals and instructions necessary to assemble explosive devices.

The three accomplices have been detained for interrogation, pending charges.

It was also discovered that Rumana had recruited two Arab residents of Jerusalem into his cell to help carry out an attack targeting Jews in the capital. Their possession of Israeli I.D. cards would have made it far easier to move around without being questioned.

The plan was for the two men - employed as maintenance workers in the Mamilla Mall in central Jerusalem - to smuggle an explosive device into the mall and hide it in their personal lockers until the start of the Jewish festivals, when the mall would be packed with holiday shoppers. The terrorists were then instructed to plant the device, disguised as a gift box, in one of the mall's busy restaurants, or in another location with a high concentration of Israeli civilians.

In the course of their interrogations, the suspects also revealed that they planned a number of additional terrorist atrocities, including the kidnap and murder of an Israeli soldier. They had also planned to manufacture rockets to fire against Israeli communities near Ramallah.

The Mamilla Mall typically has lots of Arab shoppers as well. This ought to make Arab employees at the mall and Arab shoppers be regarded with suspicion by their Jewish counterparts. It doesn't say here which restaurant they wanted to target. I can make an educated guess, but I won't post it here because I don't want to give them any ideas....