Israelis rescue taxi driver from 'terrorist' abductors

A KIDNAPPED taxi driver freed in an Israeli commando raid was greeted with a street party yesterday and the military said his captors were not backed by major Palestinian militant groups.

The abduction last week of Israeli Eliyahu Goral had raised tensions as Israelis and Palestinians have been working to maintain a fragile ceasefire.

The Israeli army said the kidnappers had no ties to the larger Palestinian militant groups, and probably abducted Mr Goral in hopes of passing him onto those groups. The attempt to move their captive apparently failed. The military, however, insisted the kidnappers were not common criminals.