Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Office Press and Information Division, July 22, 2001
Several days ago, the security forces detained for questioning Enis Mahmoud
Namoura, a resident of Dura, near Hebron.
Enis is a Palestinian officer with the rank of second lieutenant serving in
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat’s special protection unit and acts
as one of Arafat’s bodyguards whenever the latter is in Bethlehem, Ramallah or
Hebron.
The Palestinian Authority sent Enis to Algiers for military studies during
1995-99. There he underwent various training courses, including a lengthy one
in sabotage, with emphasis on assembling and detonating bombs.
In recent months, while he was serving as one of Arafat’s bodyguards, Enis
joined a Tanzim group led by Marwan Zaloum. Since the events of last October,
this group has carried out many attacks in Hebron involving shooting and the
use of bombs activated by cellular phones.
During his interrogation, Enis furnished information on his activities, as well as
those of his comrades.
Enis has admitted – inter alia – to participating in the July 9, 2001 shooting
attack near Adorayim in which Maj. Shai Cohen was killed; Enis has provided
the names of others who were involved in the attack.
Moreover, Enis admitted having links to the activities of Salam Daraouwi and
Ibrahim Vehaadna, two Tanzim activists who were killed in Beit Tzafafa on July
16, 2001, on their way to perpetrate an attack in Jerusalem.
For several days last month, Enis served as one of Arafat’s bodyguards while
the latter was in Ramallah, i.e. he was engaged in terrorist activities while he
was carrying out his official functions.
