Maher Abu Sneineh was killed in a joint operation by the IDF, Israel Police and the General Security Service to arrest wanted terrorists in Kalkilye yesterday. The Hamas terrorist was planning a double attack, using a car bomb and a suicide killer, in the open market of Rosh HaAyin, just east of Petach Tikvah. Arutz-7´s Kobi Finkler reports that Abu Sneineh and another terrorist attempted to escape the Israeli forces, but they opened fire on his getaway car, killing him and wounding his accomplice.

Last November, Abu Sneineh and a suicide terrorist he recruited attempted to carry out the attack, but they were thwarted by GSS activity that forced them to call it off. The GSS reports that in possession of the terrorists was much explosive material and many bombs designed for use in other attacks.

The wounded accomplice, a 19-year-old Tanzim bomb maker, was planning to supply an explosive device for yet another attack, this one in Kfar Saba.

In another successful police operation, it was announced today that five Arabs suspected in the murder of a Brinks truck guard, Moti Cohen, have been arrested. The murder/robbery was committed in the Israeli-Arab town of Tira several weeks ago. The police say that the crime had "nationalist [i.e., terrorist] indications."

"These robbers came to murder," said Central Region Police Chief Benny Kaniak today, "and only afterwards did they steal the money. As opposed to other robberies, where murder occurs when the robbers find themselves in trouble, this one was a particularly cruel and cold- blooded murder – a few bullets to the guard´s head, as we see in the film of the act, and only afterwards did they take the sacks with three millions shekels." The money was later transferred to Gaza, and has not yet been recovered. (IsraelNationalNews © 01/27/05)