(Communicated by Israeli security sources)

In a joint IDF, ISA and special Border Police arrest operation this morning in the Jenin refugee camp, Mahmud Ibrahim Qassem Abid "Abu-Jahim", a senior wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist in northern Samaria, was shot and killed after firing his weapon near the force.

"Abu-Jahim", born in 1986 and a resident of the Jenin refugee camp, has been wanted by security forces for a long time. In the past two years he has become a central target, following arrest operations of senior members of the Islamic Jihad infrastructure in the northern Samaria, in the Jenin and Tulkarm areas.

"Abu-Jahim" is known as an engineer of the Islamic Jihad infrastructure and has recruited many suicide bombers for attacks in Israel. "Abu-Jahim" was responsible for the manufacture of high quality explosive devices and involved in dozens of explosive device attacks against Israeli soldiers in the Jenin area.

He was one of the commanders directly responsible for the attempted suicide bombing attack in Central Israel which was thwarted on Tuesday, February 20.

On Tuesday afternoon, a successful search was held for a Palestinian, resident of Jalbun who left Jenin in the morning carrying a large explosive device in his bag. The explosive device was retrieved by the Israel Police and the ISA near the city of Rishon Letzion. In an initial investigation, the apprehended terrorist admitted that he had been recruited to the Islamic Jihad terrorist infrastructure by "Abu-Jahim", who also supplied him with a large explosive device meant for a suicide bombing attack in the Tel-Aviv new Central Bus Station. 

"Abu-Jahim" was one of the most senior wanted terrorists in Samaria. His ability and his experience in manufacturing explosive devices and recruiting suicide bombers made him one of the most important figures in one of the most dangerous terrorist infrastructures in Samaria, a lethal infrastructure that used different methods to strike at Israeli targets.