Mother of seven carried suicide bomb

Israeli security forces arrested two Palestinians who were on their way to carry out a suicide bombing attack near Tel Aviv, a military official said today.

Saliman Abu Ruis, 20, and Tzaber Abu Sarif, 37, were arrested in the West Bank. The official said they belonged to Fatah, Yasser Arafat’s movement.

The men travelled through the Kafr Qasem checkpoint into Israel alongside a 40-year-old mother of seven who carried a 17 pound explosive belt.

She handed the belt over to Abu Ruis, the would-be suicide attacker, after they crossed the checkpoint and then returned to Nablus, the official said. Israel Radio said she was arrested.

Abu Ruis and Abu Sarif walked toward the town of Rosh Haayin but buried the belt and turned back when they spotted Israeli soldiers.

The official said it was the fifth suicide bombing the army has prevented so far this month.

In three years of violence, more than 400 Israelis have been killed in 105 Palestinian suicide bombing attacks.