Israel ends six-hour siege of Arafat base

Israeli troops pulled out of Yasser Arafat’s West Bank headquarters complex today, hours after smashing their way in, eyewitnesses said.

The troops had blown up offices of the Palestinian intelligence service, about 70 yards from Arafat’s quarters in Ramallah, eyewitnesses said, but Palestinian officials said he was unharmed.

The army said it carried out the raid in response to a Palestinian car bomb attack on an Israeli bus on Tuesday which killed 17 Israelis and the bomber.

Eyewitnesses said the Israeli forces had left the compound and lifted the cordon of armour around it, ending a siege which lasted about six hours.