Jerusalem, Feb 07: The Israeli police announced today it had discovered an explosives belt like those used by suicide bombers inside a mosque in the Israeli Arab town of Taibeh, north of Tel Aviv.
The belt stuffed with explosives was hidden in the mosque's lavatory and was due to be picked up by two Islamic Jihad militants who were arrested a day earlier at a surprise roadblock between Nablus and Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, police sources said.
"To bring an explosives belt inside a mosque is a cynical use of the holy character of the site," said the local police chief Amihai Shai over the public radio, adding the device had been defused.
"The explosion of the belt could have caused a catastrophe had it happened on Friday (today) when the mosque is packed with 1,200 worshippers," Shai added.
A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned that the discovery was evidence that Palestinian groups were more determined than ever to carry out a large attack inside Israel.
Israeli Arab MP Abdel Malek Dahamshe promptly condemned the event.
Bureau Report
