Israel dismantles Qaeda cell in East Jerusalem

Israeli security services have dismantled an al-Qaeda-run militant cell in East Jerusalem which was planning to bomb the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office said on Wednesday.

“(The) Shabak arrested a terror cell from east Jerusalem that was operated by al-Qaeda and planned, amongst other attacks, to bomb the U.S. Embassy,” Ofir Gendelman wrote on Twitter, using the Hebrew term for the Shin Bet internal security services.

Israeli media said the leader of the group was from East Jerusalem and the others from Nablus.

“Some of the intended targets included Binyanei Hauma buildings in Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv,” Ynetnews.com reported.

“There was serious organization that was cut down in its early stages,” Ynet quoted a high ranking Shin Bet official as saying said.

[With AFP]