Israel captures top Hamas commander in West Bank

RAMALLAH, West Bank, May 23 (Reuters) Israeli security forces today captured the top Hamas commander in the occupied West Bank, who is accused of masterminding suicide bombings during a more than 5-year-old Palestinian revolt.

An army spokeswoman said Ibrahim Hamed, 41, was arrested in the West Bank city of Ramallah, ending a manhunt launched in 1998. Hamas confirmed Hamed's identity.

Witnesses said troops surrounded Hamed's hideout, and then forced their way in using lock-busting bombs on the doors. A second Palestinian was also taken into custody in the morning raid, the witnesses said.

Hamas, which took over the Palestinian government in March after winning January elections, is formally committed to Israel's destruction but has largely abided by a 15-month truce.

The army said in a statement that Hamed was responsible for a number of attacks on Israelis, including Hamas suicide bombings that killed more than 60 people. He is also accused of planning attacks on Israel's rail infrastructure and gas depots.

An Israeli colonel involved in the capture told Army Radio that Hamas would have trouble replacing Hamed.

''What made him special was his creativity in finding complex ways to attack Israelis,'' the colonel said.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the arrest would not dent the group's capabilities.

''He (Hamed) will neither be the first nor the last resistance leader to be arrested or martyred,'' Zuhri said.

Israeli military action against Hamas has become relatively rare, with security forces focusing efforts against another militant group, Islamic Jihad, which has spurned ceasefire efforts and carried out most of the recent suicide attacks.

The Israeli army said it also arrested two Islamic Jihad members and five suspected militants from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

REUTERS SHR PM1820