Israeli security officials won’t say how Lebanese terrorist entered Israel undetected, but confirm that he did not use a cross-border tunnel.
By Adina Katz, World Israel News
A terrorist who planted a roadside bomb in northern Israel that seriously wounded a motorist did not enter Israel from Lebanon via a tunnel, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed in a statement on Monday.
The Israeli military did not provide details as to how the man had slipped across the border without being detected by security forces.
“The IDF continues to study and investigate the incident in order to draw the necessary operational conclusions,” the army said.
In recent months, Israel has seen an uptick in deadly terror attacks, but the incident last week was unusual because it involved cross-border infiltration.
A relatively unknown terror organization, which is affiliated with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group, took credit for the attack.
However, Israeli government officials have remained tight-lipped regarding whether they believe the small splinter organization was behind the sophisticated act, or if the terrorist had been acting directly on behalf of Hezbollah.
It’s unclear exactly when and where the perpetrator crossed the border from southern Lebanon into Israel, but Hebrew language media reports have indicated that the man may have spent several days in Israel before planting the explosive.
The bomb was detonated near Megiddo Junction, some 40 miles south of the border and around 20 kilometers south of Haifa, the largest city in northern Israel.
The terrorist, who has not been named by Israeli authorities, was shot dead by IDF special forces while attempting to return to Lebanon.
The man was reportedly armed with a rifle and wearing an explosive belt.
Residents of Israel’s northern border communities have long complained of the serious security risks posed by gaps in the border fence.
Some said that migrant workers wandering into Israel from Lebanon was not an unusual occurrence, and demonstrated that infiltration is relatively easy.
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