TERRORISM REVIEW

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• Publication Date: May 1, 1997

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 Terrorism Review)
Articles Peruvian Terrorists: Dazed But Still Dangerous
Although the Peruvian military assault on the Japanese
Ambassador's residence on 22 April dealt a devastating blow to the
Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA),
will confront these threats with renewed vigor
continues to pose a substantial threat to Peruvian intere~ome
and abroad, as well as to US and Japanese interests. MRTA remains
capable of carrying out low-level attacks and kidnappings for
ransom, and other terrorist groups may stage attacks to demonstrate
their solidarity with the MRTA hostage takers. In addition, the larger
and more violent Sendero Luminoso, which lay dormant throughout
the hostage crisis, recently staged a car bombing in Lima and is
likely to continue its terrorist activities to recapture the public
spotlight from its MRTA rivals. Peru's counterterrorist police,
determined to redeem itself after failing to prevent the hostage crisis,
~
i Sec t
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 Highlights
 The Terrorism Diarv for June and July
Chronology of International Terrorism,'
Summary of Indigenous Terrorism-April 1997
This review is published monthly by the DCI Counterterrorist
Cvntnr. Cnmmvntc and auPrip.c am wehnme and may hP dirertvd to
Information available as of 21 May ]997 was used in this report.
 Still Dangerous
The Peruvian military assault on the Japanese
Ambassador's residence on 22 Apri! dealt a devas-
tating blow to the 'lltpac Amaru Revolutionary
Movement (MRTA), robbing the already-damaged
organization of its last remaining senior leader and
its most capable operational planner. Despite the
success of the hostage rescue mission, however, ter-
rorism continues to pose a substantial threat to
Peruvian interests at home and abroad, as well as
to targets associated with the United States and
Japan. MRTA remains capable of carrying out
low-level attacks and kidnappings for ransom, and
other Latin American or European terrorist
groups may stage terrorist attacks to demonstrate
their solidarity with the MRTA hostage takers. In
addition, the larger and more violent Sendero
Luminoso, which lay dormant throughout the hos-
tage crisis, recently staged a car bombing in Lima
and is likely to continue its terrorist activities to
recapture the public spotlight from its MRTA
rivals. Peru's counterterrorist police, determined
to redeem itself after failing to prevent the hostage
crisis, will confront these threats with renewed
vigor.
Rescue O i v MRTA in Critical
Conditio
The assault on the Japanese Ambassador's residence
dealt a devastating blow to the Tupac Amaru
Revolutionary Movement. The group's armed guer-
rillacadre, already diminished by years of Lima's suc-
cessful counterterrorist efforts, is now left to face
increased military and psychological pressure from
the government without the benefit of proven leader-
ship or acore of experienced operatives:
? Nestor Cerpa Cartolini, the slain commander of the
hostage takers inside the residence, was MRTA's
most talented operational planner and the ]ast mem-
ber of its senior leadership outside of prison. His
apparent successor, Hugo Avellaneda, probably
lacks Cerpa's depth of expertise in planning and
executing terrorist acts.
"Operation Chavin de Huantar"
The four-month-long hostage standoff in Lima came to
a sudden and decisive end on 22 April, when Peruvian
commandos entered the Japanese Ambassador's resi-
dence and seized it from the MRTA terrorists after a
30-minute assault. The rescue operation-codenamed
"Operation Chavin de Huantar, "after an ancient ruin
in northern Peru that includes a network of under-
ground tunnels-resulted in the rescue of all but one of
the 72 hostages. Two Peruvian commandos and all 14
of the MRTA hostage takers died in the assault.
The rescue force maximized its chances of success by
striking while the terrorists were most vulnerable:
? At the time of the assault, eight terrorists were play-
ing soccer in the downstairs reception area of the
residence. Five other terrorists appear to have been
elsewhere on the first floor. The remaining terrorist
was on the second floor guarding the 72 hostages,
who routinely were sequestered there during the
rebels' afternoon soccer matches.
? At 1625 EST the assault force detonated explosive
charges placed in tunnels under thefirst-floor recep-
tion area, killing or severely wounding most of the
terrorists playing soccer.
? Soon after, members of the rescue force entered the
second floor of the residence, killed the terrorist
guarding the hostages, and ushered the hostages out
across the second floor terrace.
? Other members of the assault force then entered the
residence after blasting through the front door, a~ad
another commando team entered through tunnels
elsewhere on the compound.
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 MRTA maintains a
orf' ce of tween an armed combatants in
Peru's central jungle region, but these guerrillas
probably lack experience in urban terrorist opera-
tions. Most of the group's skilled urban terrorists
were killed or arrested in December 1995, when
police raided MRTA safehouses in Lima to preempt
an assault on the Peruvian Congress building. As a
result, Cerpa was forced to rely on younger, less
experienced terrorists for the takeover of the Japa-
nese Ambassador's residence.
? The hostage takers' failed attempt to win the release
of their 400 jailed comrades and revitalize their
movement is probably having a demoralizing effect
on MRTA and could lead its remaining members to
question the utility of continued, armed activity. Pos-
sibly reflecting such uncertainty
As a result of its diminished capabilities, MRTA proba-
bly will concentrate its immediate efforts on recruiting
new members, consolidating its leadership structure,
and using its increased international profile to raise
funds and conduct propaganda campaigns against the
Peruvian Government. These activities could be aug-
mented by kidnappings for ransom or symbolic attacks
designed to demonstrate the group's continued viabil-
ity. MRTA currently lacks the capability to plan
sophisticated terrorist operations, however, and does
not pose a threat to well-protected targets
Sympathy Attacks Likely~~
A wide range of non-Peruvian terrorist groups are
Likely to stage sympathy attacks against targets associ-
ated with Peru, Jaaan, and the United State
(MRTA sympathizers inn u
and Latin America already have staged low-level
harassment attacks against the Peruvian Government
to demonstrate their solidarity with the hostage takers:
? After the takeover of the Japanese Ambassador's
residence in December, unidentified assailants fire-
bombed the Peruvian Consulate in Milan, and the
Fighting Guerrilla Formation, a Greek leftist group,
bombed the Peruvian Embassy in Athens.
? A bomb exploded at the Peruvian Embassy in
Prague shortly after midnight on 27 April, causing
minimal property damage and no injuries. Several
placards denouncing the Peruvian Government had
been placed near the embassy the previous day.
? On 28 April, six left-wing Danish activists occupied
the Peruvian Embassy in Copenhagen for two hours
before they were removed by Danish police.
? On 2 May, three masked gunmen claiming to be
MRTA members seized control of a cable television
station in Bogota, Colombia, and broadcast a state-
ment condemning the hostage rescue operation.
Several other armed leftist groups, including the
Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN), the
Mexican Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR), and the
Turkish Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/
Front (DI-IKP/C, formerly Dev Sol) also have issued
statements condemning the assault. In addition, on 30
April, Panamanian students announced the formation
of the "Nestor Cerpa Commando," a radical leftist
group inspired by MRTA's example
Sendero Luminoso: Back in the Spotligh~
Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path, or SL), Peru's
larger and more violent guerrilla movement, has
resumed its terrorist activities in an apparent attempt
to recapture the public spotlight from its rival, MRTA:
? In its most ambitious attack since 1995, SL car-
bombed apolice station in Lima on 15 May, injuring
at least eight officers and 17 civilians. Pamphlets left
at the scene claimed the attack was intended to mark
the anniversary of the start of SL's "popular war"
against the government on t7 May 1980.
? The group refrained from terrorist attacks during the
four-month-long hostage crisis, probably to avoid
any perception that it was sympathetic toward the
takeover of the Japanese Ambassador's residence.
An SL spokesman dismissed the takeover as serving
no "revolutionary objective." With the hostage
standoff fading quickly from the public conscious-
ness, there is no Ionger any danger that SL's attacks
will be interpreted as supportive of MRTA.
 ? New attacks are especially likely to take place dur-
ing the month of July, when SL often launches
"armed strikes" designed to disrupt Peru's
Independence Day celebrations
SI. reportedly has spent years recruiting and reorga-
nizing its leadership structure, which was severely dis-
rupted by the arrest in September 1992 of the group's
founder, Abimael Guzman. Consistent with this effort
to rebuild its base of support, SL appears to be choos-
ing its targets more carefully than it did in the past and
is tailoring its attacks to appeal to disaffected
Peruvians:
? SL's most recent bombing campaign in Lima, con-
ducted last July, also was directed against police and
military targets. In contrast, most of SL's previous
bombing campaigns were designed deliberately to
inflict civilian casualties.
? SL's legacy of indiscriminate violence and intimida-
tion, however, is sure to frustrate these modest
efforts to enhance the group's public appeal
Revitalized Counterterrorist Efforts
Blame for the security lapse that allowe~c MRT
seize the Japanese Ambassador's residence has fallen
largely on the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and its
National Counterterrorism Directorate (Dincote):
? PNP Director General Antonio Ketin Vidal, who
spearheaded the investigation that led to Abimael
Guzman's capture, lost much of his influence during
the hostage crisis and was forced to resign on ]9
? On 2 January, President Fujimori fired Dincote chief
Maximo Rivera, who was one of the hostages.
? Twenty-five other police officials responsible for
security measures in Lima face military charges of
insubordination and negligence
Although the resulting leadership changes and person-
nel restructuring-Dincote's second in less than a
year-might possibly hinder law enforcement activi-
ties in the short term, they probably will strengthen
Peru's counterterrorist capabilities in the long run. The
punishments imposed on the former PNP and Dincote
avoid further embarrassing security lapses
Accordingly, the PNP and Dincote have developed
strong responses to the recent activities of SL and
MRTA:
? In an apparent attempt to dismantle SL's terrorist
network in Lima, Dincote conducted sweeps
through Lima's shantytowns and arrested 84 indi-
viduals it suspects of involvement in the group's
recent car-bomb attack, according to press.
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 Highlight'
Significant Developments
The Kuwaiti State Security Service (KSS) arrested 13 Bahraini nationals and two
Iraqis in Kuwait Cit on 26 March for re resenting a security threat to Kuwaiti
interests hese arrests may indicate that Bahraini
Hizballah still is active in the Persian Gulf region despite last year's crackdown
and the recent trial of 59 of the group's members in Bahrain. There is some evi-
dence that those arrested may. be affiliated with Hizballah cells in the region or with
Iran:
? Kuwaiti officials reported to Bahraini officials that the group appeared to have
ties to Saudi and Kuwaiti Hizballah,
Manama press reported that the group ca a ~tse iz a a u .
correspondence found at the homes of those arrested indi-
cates t ey a contacts in Damascus, Syria, and Qom, Iran, and the service sug-
gests they may have been operating on behalf of the Iranian Ministry of
Intelligence and Security (MOIS)
Although the Bahraini Government's crackdown last year appeared to have dis-
abled Bahraini Hizballah, several key leaders-including three military council
members-avoided capture and may be attempting to regroup and conduct
Hizballah-related activities:
? Muhammad Habib Mansur Saffaf one of the =rou 's top leaders, lives in Kuwait
City He reportedly has run asafe-
house in Kuwait that served as key transit point between Bahrain and Lebanon,
has engaged in weapons smuggling, and may still be involved in terrorist-related
activities that have aroused Kuwaiti suspicions. Kuwaiti officials may try to cap-
ture Saffaf in connection with the recent arrests.
? Various reports suggest military council member Adil Shu'ala, who is still free
outside Bahrain, may be associated with Hizballah al-Hijaz, the group suspected
in the bombing in June 1996 of Khubar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
still are free and probably have fled to Iran or Lebanon
Sec
 If the Bahrainis arrested in Kuwait are affiliated with Bahraini Hizballah, it would
be the first indication that the group still is active. The possible ties to Iran and ref-
erences to the new name "Hizballah Gu1P' suggest Tehran may be working to cre-
ate anew Hizballah cell to oppose the Bahraini Govemment
Recent contacts between Lebanese Hizballah and Bahraini Shias suggest that Bahr-
aini Hizballah retains an infrastructure in Bahrain as well. Lebanese Hizballah
Leader Fadlallah cooperates with Bahraini Shia cleric Abdailah `Asfur, who, as
recently as April, solicited Fadlallah's ideas on how they might work together,
`Asfur reportedly is a moderate Shia cleric, who has
cooperated with the Bahraini Government in the past. Though the association of
Fadlallah and Asfur may be related to legitimate religious affairs, their contact, at a
minimum, indicates Fadlallah has access to the Shia community in Bahrain.
 The Terrorism Diary for June and July
Below is a compendium of June and July dates of known or conceivable
significance to terrorists around the world. Our inclusion of a date or event should
not by itself be construed to suggest that we expect or anticipate a commemorative
1 June 1976 Palestinians. During this month, Syria entered the civil conflict in Lebanon on the
side of the Christian Phalange and against the Palestinians and their Muslim allies.
In response, Palestinian renegade Abu Nidal renamed his terrorist group (then
based in Iraq) the Black June Organization and began attacking Syrian targets.
3 June 1989 Iran. Death of Ayatollah Khomeini.
4 June 1982 Israel, Lebanon. First Israeli bombing of Beirut.
5 June 1963 Iran. National Day of Mourning; Revolution Day; Day of Uprising (commemo-
rates the arrest of Ayatollah Khomeini by police under the Shah).
5 June 1967 Middle East. Beginning of the Six-Day War.
6 June 1982 Israel, Lebanon. Israeli forces invade Lebanon.
6 June 1984 India. Army storms the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar.
8 June 1967 Palestinians. Founding of Palestinian terrorist group Sa'iga (Thunderbolt).
18 June 1953 Egypt. Evacuation Day (anniversary of the proclamation of the republic).
25 June 1964 Mozambique. Founding of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique.
25 June 1996 Saudi Arabia. Truck bombing of Khubar Towers facility in Dhahran, in which 19
US servicemen were killed and hundreds of others were wounded.
26 June 1995 Ethiopia. Attempted assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak,
Italy. Arrest of 13 members of the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya in Milan.
I July 1867 Canada. Dominion Day.
3 Jr~ly 1988 Iran. USS Vincennes shoots down Iran Air Flight 655 in Persian Gulf.
4 July 1776 United States. Independence Day.
4 July 1946 Philippines. Republic Day (date on which the Philippines became an independent
republic).
27 Sec1~t
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 5 July 1962 Algeria. Independence Day.
9 July 1929 Morocco. Birthday of King Hassan 11.
IOJuIy 1978 Mauritania. Armed Forces Day (commemorates military coup).
12 July 1690 Northern Ireland. Orangemen's Day (Protestants march to commemorate victory
in Battle of the Boyne}.
14 July 1789 France. Bastille Day.
I4 July 1958 Iraq. Republic Day (Army coup d'etat that overthrew monarchy and established
republic).
IS July 1946 Brunei. Sultan's birthday.
17 July 1968 Iraq. Revolution Day (Ba'th Party coup).
20 July 1974 Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot Peace and Freedom Day (commemorates intervention by
Turkish forces).
23 July 1952 Egypt. National Day (commemorates military coup ousting King Farouk).
23 July 1970 Oman. Accession Day of Sultan Qaboos.
25 July 1957 Tunisia. Proclamation of republic.
26 July 1956 Egypt. Nationalization of Suez Canal.
28 July 1821 Peru. Independence Day.
28 July 1989 Lebanon. Abduction by Israel of Hizballah cleric Shaykh Ubayd.
3I July Spain, France. St. Ignatius' Day (patron saint of Basques).
31 July 1969 Spain, France. Founding of Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA).
 Chronology of International Terrorism
The following incidents were considered by the Intelligence Community's Incident
Review Panel since publication of the previous issue of the Terrorism Review and
were determined by the Panel to constitute international terrorism. Such incidents
provide the basis for the State Department s Patterns of Globa] Terrorism, which is
published annually as the US Government's official record of international
29 Se et
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May 19 7
 23 February
Philippines: A guard at the US Embassy in Manila discovered an improvised
explosive device inside the US Military Advisory Group's "Seafront"facility
complex, near a residential area housing 48 families. The device, aping-gong
ball filled with explosive powder, nails, tacks, and metal filings, was designed to
detonate on contact. Authorities rendered the device harmless. No group claimed
responsibility~~
between Moscow and the recently elected Chechen governmen
Russia: Four gunmen kidnapped an Italian photojournalist while he traveled
between Clternorechye and Grozny in the Chechen region. In late March the kid-
nappers demanded a ransom of one million dollars. Russian and Chechen authori-
ties, along with the humanitarian agency Intersos, helped bring about the hostage's
release. It is unknown whether any ransom was paid. Chechen militants are sus-
pected of carrying out the abduction in an attempt to undermine ~ s
u tal~
suspect the Ulster Volunteer Forc
Ireland: Police defused an explosive device found outside a Sinn Fein political
party o,,Q`ice in Monaghan. No one claimed res onsibility, but Irish authorities
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) claimed responsibility
Turkey: Assailants bombed an Iraqi-owned oil pipeline in Bogaz Mardin, caus-
ingminor damage. The pipeline extends from Yumurtalik, Turkey, to Kirkuk, Iraq.
17 March Germany: Unknown assailants hurled incendiary devices at a Turkish-owned
grocery store in Lauterbach, causing extensive damage. The PKK is suspected.
members or sympathizers
Germany: Unidentified assailants setfire to the entrance of a Turkish restaurant
in Giessen, causing minor dama a but no injuries. Authorities suspect PKK
~
the PKK in both inciden
Germany: Two Turkish-owned restaurants were attacked in Bad Vilbel in sepa-
rate incidents. A handgrenade attached to propane butane gas tanks detonated out-
side afast-food restaurant, injuring one person and causing extensive damage,
while assailants caused minor dama a to a second restaurant. Authorities suspect
 7 February Colombia: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARO) guerrillas kid-
napped two German and two Austrian tourists in Los Katios National Park. The
FARC demanded a $15 million ransom. On 4 March, Colombian soldiers patrolling
the Choco Department spotted the hostages with their captors. The rebels killed
two of the hostages when the troops discovered their hideout. An ensuing gun
battle killed four guerrillas: two others fled into the jungle. The two remaining
hostages were rescued
Colombia: Suspected National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas kidnapped a
Norwegian employee of a Swedish-owned construction com an in Urra. The
employee's car was found abandoned north of Medellin
service
Colombia: Unknown attackers dynamited an oil pipeline at the Barrancabermeja
Industrial Complex in Barrancabermeja, leaving the turbospandex plant out of
guerrillas are suspected in the attack
Colombia: Assailants dynamited a section of the Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline
in Cucuta, causing a large oil spill and susyending pumping operations. ELN
seven hostages. It is unknown whether a ransom was paid
Yemen: Some 50 Yemeni tribesmen kidnapped six German tourists and their
German tour guide in Wadi al Dabaat. The kidnappers reportedly demanded
$12 million from the Yemeni Government. On 12 March the tribesmen released the
 Se et 32
 Summary of Indigenous Terrorism--April 1997
Ethiopia
This description of incidents and situations is not meant to be a detailed
accounting of all domestic term but rather to provide an overview of
indigenous terrorism worldwide
and more than 60 were wounded in the attacks
On 12 and 14 April unknown attackers threw grenades into the Tigray Hotel, the
Koroko Bar, and the I.e Tana supermarket in Addis Ababa. One person was killed
Burma On 6 April a parcel bomb exploded in the Ran non home of one of Burma's senior
~
military officers, killing his eldest daughte
India Two militants shot and killed a television roducer outside his home in Srinagar on
S April, No one claimed responsibility~~
Kashmiri separatists shot and killed a leader of the main party in India's ruling
~
United Front Coalition on 21 April in Ramban
local Hindu leader near Patna, in Bihar.
The same day, Maoist guerrillas massacred six persons and burned the house of a
in Champi village in Bihar
Members of the Maoist Communist Center slit the throats of three men on 25 April
was disrupted.
On 27 April, suspected Maoist guerrillas attacked the Nadwan railroad station near
Patna, blowing up the building and the tracks. No one was injured but train service
Pakistan On 9 April a bomb exploded in a shoe store in the Rail Bazaar in Gajranwala, injur-
ing at least 19 persons and damaging several shops~~
Europe
suspected
Authorities defused a bomb found inside a government tax office in Athens on
] 5 April. Both the Fighting Guerrilla Formation and the Nihilist Faction are
Several banks, public telephones, vehicles, trash bins, and a telephone antenna
were firebombed on 4 April in Vizcaya Province during a large de ton in
support of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) organization
damage but no injuries. Authorities believe the ETA is responsibl
A bomb exploded behind a Mondragon courthouse on I 1 April, causing sive
33 Sel~ret
D! 7}q 97-OOS
Mav 1997
 Suspected ETA gunmen shot an~ded a prison worker in Bilbao as he walked
home from work on 16 April
On 22 April, a bomb concealed inside a package detonated at a construction site
next to Sevilla's Santa Ana train station, injuring one person and causing minor
damage. The ETA is suspected.
A lone gunman shot and killed a police inspector outside his home in Bilbao on
24 April. No one claimed responsibility, but authorities suspect ETA involvement.
Turkey `The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is suspected in the kidnanni~Diyarbakir
of eight villagers and one village guard between 5 and 6 April
On 17 April in Istanbul, assailants hurled a Molotov cocktail at a building form rl
used by the National Youth Foundation Bureau. No one claimed responsibility
United Kingdom A telephone bomb threat by a person using a recognized Irish Republican Army
(IRA) codeword forced the cancellation of the Grand National steeplechase horse
race outside Liverpool on 5 April. Approximately 70,000 spectators were evacu-
ated and denied access to the parking lots for nearly 24 hours. Several thousand
were sheltered at local churches, schools, and homes. No explosive devices were
found.
An IRA sniper shot and seriously wounded a policewoman outside Londonderry's
Bishop Street courthouse on 10 April. The weapon was later recovered in a olice
~
raid of a suspected IRA safehouse, but the gunman remains at large
A bomb exploded outside a Sinn Fein political party office in Londonderry on
21 April, causing minor damage but no injuries, Loyalist paramilitary groups are
suspected
A series of bombs and coded hoax warnings by the IRA shut down highways, air-
ports, train terminals, and subway stations throughout the United Kingdom on sev-
eral occasions during April. Devices detonated at the Leeds and Doncaster railway
stations on 18 April and at an electrical pylon next to a highway in Birmingham on
25 April. Police defused two bombs underneath a highway overpass in Bescot on 3
April and under a stretch of highway in Birmingham on 25 April. Authorities sus-
pect the IRA was t in to create chaos in the transportation system to disrupt the
1 May election
Also during April, arsonists set fire to several Catholic churches in the Northern
Ireland towns of Randalstown, Tanderagee, Lisburn, Carrickfergus, and Belfast,
causing damage but no inju ~ She Au~rities suspect members or sympathizers of
loyalist paramilitary groups
 Algeria
Egypt
Gaza Strip
Some 30 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas opened fire
on a helicopter in Tolima on 2 April, killing two policemen and wounding another
and a civilian. The guerrillas surrounded the helicopter, which was delivering mon-
eybags to various banks, when it landed in a soccer field. Aft~ash between the
guerrillas and police, the rebels fled with one moneybag
On 14 April in Bogota, a package bomb disguised as a medical book exploded and
killed the son of a congressman who was a former leader of the Popular Liberation
Movement guerrilla group. The FARC had announced a the former guer-
rilla leader would be killed before the end of the mont~
A remotely detonated car bomb exploded in Arauca on 29 April, wounding the
Second Vice President of the Colombia House of Representatives and his body-
guard as they drove past; a second bodyguard was killed. The National Liberation
Army (ELN) claimed responsibility for the attacl~~
On 9 April a pipe bomb exploded outside the Venezuelan Congress building in
Caracas, causing minor damage but no injuries. No group claimed responsibility
for the bombing, but authorities suspect the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement.
On 22 April a group of militants armed with knives and farm tools killed 93 villag-
ers in an agricultural community in Baouch Boukhelef-Khemisti in the district of
Bougara. No one cl 'me res onsibility for the attack but the Armed Islamic Group
(GIA) is suspected
four others. Al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya is suspected
Unknown assailants opened fire on a police vehicle passing through the village of
Masarah in Markaz Dayrut on 18 April, killing two police officers and injuring
On 1 April a suicide bomber blew himself up close to a settlement near the
Netzerim Junction; there were no other casualties. About a half hour later, a second
suicide bomber injured five Palestinians near the Israeli settlement of Kfar Darom.
An anonymous caller claimed the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) was
responsible for both attacks, but HAMAS denied responsibility. The Abu Ghunaym
Saur~the Hizballah Bayt Al-Magdis organization also claimed responsibility.
was passing by. No group claimed responsibility for the attack
Unidentified assailants threw an explosive device at an Israeli bus transporting
Yeshiva students near Nabulus on ]0 April; no one was hurt. Authorities then
defused a bomb found on the roadside that apparently was set to explode as the bus