Israel arrests 13 suspected terrorists behind murder of U.S. hiker

[News_Editor]

Israel arrests 13 suspected terrorists behind murder of U.S. hiker

2011-01-27 00:31:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BNO NEWS) -- Israeli police on Wednesday announced the arrest of 13 suspected members of a terrorist cell responsible of many offenses including the 2010 murder of an American hiker.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the 13 men were arrested for their alleged ties with an independent terror cell in the West Bank responsible for two murders, two attempted murders, at least one rape, and other offenses since 2009.

Among the 13 detainees, there were four Palestinians from villages near Hebron. On Wednesday, the Palestinian suspects were indicted for the murder of an American tourist in a forest near Beit Shemesh last December.

U.S. national Kristine Luken was in the Mata area along her hiking partner Kay Wilson. The attackers stabbed the pair in repeated occasions and thus killing Luken and seriously injuring Wilson. During the struggle, Wilson stabbed one of the attackers in the arm with a small pocketknife.

Wilson survived by simulating being dead despite being stabbed in 12 occasions and suffering from multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken sternum. After the attack, she described the attackers to investigators which led to their capture.

The two main suspects, Ayad Fasafa and Kafeh Animat, were detained less than 48 hours after the December 18 attack. Their arrest unearthed the terror cell and led to the joint operation led by the Shin Bet.

During questioning, Animat admitted the murder of Neta Shorek Blatt, a Zichron Yaakov resident killed near a mosque last February. The terror cell was also behind the attempted murder of an Ethiopian couple in the forest near Beit Shemesh on February 20, 2010.

Jerusalem District Police chief Aharon Franco said that the criminal group began carrying out attacks to avenge the assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January 2010.

A joint investigation between the Shin Bet, border police, special army units, and police led to the arrest of the suspected terrorists. The month-long probe began after the murder and stabbing attack on the U.S. tourists.

In addition to the four Palestinian suspects, four men were arrested for providing financial support to the terror cell and five other individuals were arrested for their involvement as well.

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