10 December 2009 / TODAY’S ZAMAN , İSTANBUL
Turkish security forces have prevented a Hezbollah attack on an undisclosed Israeli target in Turkey, leading Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Wednesday, quoting remarks from Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon.
Ayalon told the paper that Israel was grateful to Turkey for the successful operation. According to Israeli defense sources, the attack aimed to avenge the killing of top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, who died in a car bombing in Damascus in February 2008. The organization sees Israel as responsible for the assassination.The planned attack in Turkey was exposed over a month ago, with Turkish media publishing a warning issued by the local police’s senior command to its officers to take steps to prevent a Hezbollah attack on American and Israeli targets. The daily said this was the third attempt by the group to avenge Mughniyeh’s death. Earlier this year Hezbollah planned an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, but local security forces exposed the attack and members of the group were arrested. Later on, in Egypt, a group of Hezbollah agents were arrested and accused of tracking Israelis at tourist sites as well as monitoring Israeli ships passing through the Suez Canal.
