PA CARRIES OUT LOCAL SECURITY CAMPAIGNS IN TOWNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001611 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL/SINGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018 TAGS: KWBG PTER PGOV IS SUBJECT: PA CARRIES OUT LOCAL SECURITY CAMPAIGNS IN TOWNS SOUTHWEST OF HEBRON, RAIDS NEAR QALQILIYA AND NABLUS Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PA security contacts told PolOff and Pol FSN August 26-27 that National Security Forces (NSF) units with police and intelligence support led patrols and arrest raids near Hebron in al-Dhahiriya (Area A) and Bayt Awa (Area B) from August 24-27. PA spokesmen told local press August 24 that the campaign, directed by Hebron NSF commander BG Samih al-Sayfi and police chief Col Ramadan Awad, will focus on capturing wanted criminals who have fled Hebron, arresting arms and narcotics dealers, and seizing stolen/unregistered vehicles. (Note: While NSF contacts said 400 security officers are involved in the campaign, this figure is a composite total of all involved in security activities south and west of Hebron, and does not include significant forces from outside the Hebron governorate. End note). ¶2. (C) In separate actions, PA security contacts report that the Qalqiliya NSF arrested four Palestinians (Nidal Yunis, Wisam Imran, Mustafa Salim and Baha'a Salamah) from Azzun village suspected of throwing firebombs and stones at Israeli cars traveling between the settlements of Karne Shomron and Alfe Menashe. These security contacts also report that PA intelligence forces seized six suspected Hamas activists in villages north of Nablus on August 27. Hamas Reports Arrests of Its Activists -------------- ¶3. (U) Hamas spokesmen reported the arrest of 14 of their members by PA intelligence forces August 25-27. Eight of these were arrested in Nablus, two in Hebron, three from the Tulkarm area, and one near Bethlehem, according to Hamas spokesmen. WALLES