Hezbollah attempts to kidnap Israelis foiled: Barak

JERUSALEM-Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas have tried to abduct Israelis abroad and several such attempts have been thwarted, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said.Israel, which fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006, has been on alert for reprisals since the Iranian-sponsored group's military mastermind Imad Moughniyah was assassinated in Syria in February.Israeli media reported on Tuesday that Israel's intelligence services, in cooperation with foreign counterparts, prevented Hezbollah agents from kidnapping as many as five Israelis who were traveling or living abroad."There have been quite a few intelligence alerts in recent weeks and there were a number of very important thwarting operations," Barak said in a briefing to reporters, according to a transcript released by his office on Wednesday.An Israeli security source said intelligence warnings were received last month about a west African country that has a small group of business people from the Jewish state, as well as a sizeable Lebanese expatriate community.Israel sent emissaries to warn its citizens in the African country to be vigilant, the source said. Israel's National Security Council also issued an advisory urging Israelis abroad to beware of kidnapping attempts.Last June, the U.S. television network ABC reported that Hezbollah was suspected of having reconnoitred Israeli and Jewish targets in Canada ahead of a possible attack. An Israeli security source dismissed that report as baseless.Hezbollah vowed "open war" on Israel to avenge the death of Moughniyah in a Damascus car bombing. Israel denied involvement.

To read more go to:

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL363600620080903

As in the days of Noah...