Terrorist Activities Foiled

A small explosive charge went off at the central bus station here last Thursday but there were no injuries or casualties. What was described as a hand-made bomb exploded on the Ashkelon bound bus land. The bomb, wrapped in an old green shirt and a red sweater had been placed in a parcel, but its explosive force was apparently absorbed by a large bag that had been placed alongside the booby-trapped parcel.

In a related development, a 24-year-old Arab female student at Bar Ilan University was detained on suspicion of having headed a Fatah terrorist gang in the administered territories. The student, whose identity has not been released, is said to have registered for courses at the university as a disguise for her subversive activities among students. One of her missions was to find Jewish and Arab students who would help the Arab cause.

The student is one of a gang of seven students, two of whom are women, who were detained recently by Israeli security services. All of them were recruited to the Fatah organization while studying abroad. They were given missions of setting up subversive cells in Israel, training in the use of firearms and explosives, sending letter bombs and other acts of sabotage. At least two of those detained are charged with sending letter bombs to addresses in Israel. All the suspects are being held in prison pending trial.

Meanwhile an Israeli force which was on a search mission Friday for terrorists in southern Lebanon, demolished a house in the village of Kousa, some five kilometers north of Shetulah on the Lebanese border. Prior to the demolition the Israeli force found a hand grenade, military equipment and field glasses in the house. The force met no opposition and returned safely to Israel.