Israel Abducts Arafat's Force 17 Officer in Gaza

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 02, 2002

Israel Abducts Arafat's Force 17 Officer in Gaza

An Israeli army special undercover unit on Tuesday abducted an officer of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's personal guard Force 17, Palestinian security sources said.

An Israeli army special undercover unit on Tuesday abducted an officer of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's personal guard Force 17, Palestinian security sources said.

The sources said that the unit stopped the car of Reyad Ayyad on a road near the Jewish settlement of Nitzarim south of Gaza City, and kidnapped him under the threats of guns.

Israel Radio reported that Ayyad was captured by Israeli security forces and taken to Nitzarim.

The radio quoted Israeli security sources as reporting that Ayyad was one of those Palestinians responsible for mortar firing in the Gaza Strip.

The radio said that Ayyad is the nephew of Masoud Ayyad, a colonel of the Force 17, who was considered to be a liaison agent for the Lebanese resistance guerrilla group Hezbollah in the Gaza Strip and assassinated by Israel in February.

In another development, Palestinian eyewitnesses said on Tuesday that an Israeli army patrol arrested four members of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), including Nasser Zakarne, a senior Hamas member, in the town of Kabatiya near the West Bank city of Jenin.

Israel Radio said that the Israeli army informed the Palestinian National Authority of the raid before entering into the town.

It said that Israeli troops and tanks entered the town and headed for Zakarne's home, adding that after an exchange of fire, in which there were no injuries, Zakarne and three other Hamas militants were arrested.

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