Bedouin man arrested on suspicion of wanting to join Islamic State in Syria

Police say suspect practiced dropping 'explosive material' from his drone on dummy targets

By ToI Staff 6 October 2019, 3:21 pm
In this undated file photo released online in the summer of 2014 on a militant social media account, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, terrorists of the Islamic State group hold up their weapons and wave its flags on their vehicles in a convoy on a road leading to Iraq, in Raqqa, Syria. (Militant photo via AP, File)

Police on Sunday announced the arrest of a resident of the southern Bedouin town of Tel Sheva on suspicion of supporting the Islamic State jihadist group and wanting to fight for it in Syria.

The 20-year-old suspect, who was not named, was arrested on September 9 in a joint operation of the Israel Police and Shin Bet security service.

A police statement said that during a raid of the suspect’s home, officers found binoculars, BB guns, a vest, kneepads and a drone with which he is suspected of training to drop “explosive material” on dummy targets.

Police said they also found a large quantity of clothes associated with the Islamic State. Pictures released by police showed camo fatigues.

This undated photo released by police on October 6, 2019, shows weapons and binoculars found during a raid on the home of a man from the southern Bedouin town of Tel Sheva suspected of wanting to fight for the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria. (Israel Police)

The suspect’s remand was extended repeatedly and prosecutors from the Southern District were expected to file an indictment against him later on Sunday.

The Shin Bet has in the past estimated that several dozen Israeli nationals had fought for Islamic State and other terror groups in Iraq and Syria. Most were either killed in action or returned to Israel, where they were arrested.

Many willingly returned, despite knowing they would be indicted, due to the abysmal living conditions in the Islamist-controlled areas of Iraq and Syria.

Foreign volunteers from around the world have served with Islamic State and many have requested to be allowed to return home. Australia recently moved to bar the return of Islamic State supporters who are demanding to be repatriated from crowded refugee camps in Syria.

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