Israeli government's counter terrorism unit Thursday warned of concrete terror threats against Israelis travelling abroad, especially in Egypt's Sinai, Thailand and Turkey, local daily Ha'aretz reported.
While the Counter Terrorism Bureau (CTB) already issued the warning about two weeks ago, it chose to reiterate it ahead of the Jewish High Holidays at the end of September, a time when many Israelis holiday abroad.
The bureau, a branch in the Prime Minister's Office, advised Israelis currently in Egypt, and in particular in Sinai, to leave immediately.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Tuesday confirmed that Israeli security forces had recently foiled two attempts by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to kidnap Israeli businessmen abroad.
On Aug. 20, the CTB issued a warning to Israelis abroad regarding Hezbollah's intent to abduct or attack Israeli citizens around the world.
In its warning, the unit explained that intelligence reports suggested Hezbollah is planning abductions as revenge for the assassination of its military leader Imad Moughniyah, who was killed in a car bombing in a residential neighborhood of the Syrian capital of Damascus in February.
Israel had denied any involvement in the assassination of Moughniyah. However, Syria, Iran and Hezbollah had accused Israel of being behind the blast.
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2008)
