Members of the Palestinian armed factions hold a press conference over the tension in East Jerusalem, in in Gaza City, on October 14, 2022 (photo credit: ATTIA MUHAMMED/FLASH90)
Spread the love
Palestinian media reported that the organization turned to Palestinian security forces with a request to protect Mahmoud Albana, a top commander within the group.
Four operatives of the “Lions Den” terrorist organization, including Mahmoud Albana, a top commander within the group, turned themselves over to Palestinian security forces in Nablus on Wednesday night.
Palestinian media reported that the organization turned to Palestinian security forces with a request to protect Albana.
According to the reports, Albana was injured in a raid by Israeli security forces on Tuesday in Nablus, the PA is preparing to transfer them to protective custody in Jericho prison.
The terrorist organization has recently suffered severe blows, on Tuesday night, three members of the Lions’ Den organization were arrested – Muhammad Nabulsi, brother of Ibrahim al-Nabulsi who was killed in Nablus, a suspect who was wanted on suspicion of involvement in a shooting attack in Huwaraa and another wanted person associated with the group who had weapons in his possession.
During the raid, troops from IDF commando units as well as Shin Bet officers raided buildings in the West Bank city to arrest members of the group who are suspected of “major involvement in terror activities,” the IDF said in a statement.
Joint force raid eliminated top “Lions Den” members
A joint force of the IDF, the Shin Bet and Yamam raided a hidden apartment in the Kasbah of Nablus, which was used as a laboratory for explosives by key operatives of the terrorist organization.
In the operation, five members of a terrorist squad were eliminated, including one of the leaders and founders of the group – Wadee al-Houh, 31, Hamdi Sharaf, 35, Ali Antar, 26, and Hamdi Qayyim, 30 and Mashal Zahi Baghdadi, 27, who died of his wounds hours after the Israeli troops left the city.
According to reports, Houh was considered to be a founding member of the Nablus-based group. His home was used as a hub where connections were made between bomb-makers and locals who would carry out attacks.
In addition, Houh was a close friend of Mosab Shtayyeh, the senior Hamas operative who was arrested by the Palestinian security forces in Nablus a few weeks ago. Shtayyeh is also considered one of the top commanders of the Lions’ Den group.
Houh was previously known as a senior member of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the ruling Fatah faction. He spent time in Israeli prison for security-related offenses.
A hub for launching terrorist attacks
The IDF stated that the terrorist infrastructure that was attacked is responsible, among other things, for the shooting attack in which IDF soldier First Sergeant Ido Baruch was killed.
The squad was also responsible for sending a terrorist to perform an attack in Tel Aviv, which was prevented thanks to the vigilance of police forces on the spot, and the placing of an explosive device at the gas station in Kedumim.
