Jihad claims Tel Aviv bomb

2005-02-26 20:42

Tel Aviv - An official of the radical Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad, speaking on a videotape, on Saturday claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in Tel Aviv on Friday that killed four Israelis.

Abdullah Shibaya, one of the movement's officials from the Tulkarem region of the northern West Bank, the home area of the bomber, said: "The attack was carried out in response to the killings and destruction of homes" committed by Israel.

In the tape, the official accused the Palestinian Authority, which strongly condemned the attack, of collaborating with Israel and the United States.

Another 53 people were wounded in the suicide attack, the first since a landmark ceasefire announcement.

Israel army radio said the country's security officials were taking the claim seriously.

Both Palestinian and Israeli security services made a series of arrests on Saturday after the nightclub bombing, and both sides tried to limit fallout from the attack.

After Israeli troops arrested two brothers of the bomber at their home village in the northern West Bank, Palestinian security services detained two suspects from the nearby town of Tulkarem for interrogation.

The bomber, named as Abdullah Badran, was earlier understood to have been a member of Islamic Jihad, but the movement's leadership distanced themselves from the bombing and insisted that they were still committed to an unofficial truce.

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas said a "third party" bent on sabotaging the peace process was behind the attack, while stopping short of naming Hezbollah, as Israel said such a link could not be ruled out.

"There is a third party which wants to sabotage and destroy the peace process," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah.

Asked about the possible involvement of Hezbollah, Abbas said "we are not accusing anybody.

"Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have denied any involvement and, as a consequence, it is therefore a third party which is looking to sabotage the peace process.

"Our security services are investigating and looking for this unknown third party," he added.

In Beirut later, Hezbollah denied any involvement.

"Hezbollah categorically denies the accusations of a supposed role by our movement in the Tel Aviv operation and considers them totally without basis," said a statement from the group.

Palestinian interior minister Nasr Yussuf said two people had been arrested by the Palestinian security services.

The Israeli army said troops had detained two brothers of the bomber, in the village of Deir al-Ghussun near Tulkarem.

Army radio reported that Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz had called a meeting with the army's chief of staff Moshe Yaalon.

"The Israeli response will be punctual and will be concerned with the elements directly responsible for carrying out the attack," the radio quoted a senior defence official as saying.

"Large-scale military operations are not envisaged," the official added.

- AFP