JERUSALEM (WJC)–Turkish forces prevented a Hezbollah attack on an undisclosed Israeli target in Turkey, Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon has said, adding that he had thanked Ankara for the successful operation and for its cooperation.
According to the newspaper ‘Haaretz’, quoting Israeli defense sources, the attack was meant to avenge the killing of senior Hezbollah operative Imad Mughniyeh, who died in a car bombing in Damascus in February 2008. The Shiite terror organization has blamed Israel as responsible for the assassination.
The planned attack in Turkey was exposed over a month ago, with Turkish media publishing a warning issued by the local police’s command to its officers to take steps to prevent a Hezbollah attack on American and Israeli targets. Turkish reports said Hezbollah had set up a network of Iranian agents posing as tourists in Istanbul, with the cooperation of Iranian security agencies.
Earlier this year, Hezbollah planned an attack on the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan, but local security forces exposed the attack and members of the group were arrested. Later on, in Egypt, a group of Hezbollah agents were arrested and accused of tracking Israelis at tourist sites as well as monitoring Israeli ships passing through the Suez Canal.
Mughniyeh served as a liaison between Hezbollah leader Nasrallah in Lebanon, and the Iranian regime.
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Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress