• Published 10:23 25.10.09
  • Latest update 13:44 25.10.09

Is Taliban helping Gaza militants make deadlier roadside bombs?

IDF tests find that bombs deployed on security fence are similar to those used against U.S. in Afghanistan, Iraq.

By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Israel news Gaza IDF

Palestinian militants have significantly improved the effectiveness of roadside bombs they deploy against Israel Defense Forces soldiers along the Gaza border, tests conducted by the IDF have found.

The tests, which were carried out by the technology department of the IDF Ground Forces Command, revealed that the bombs were very similar to the improvised explosive devices used against U.S. and British forces by militants in Iraq and Afghanistan, such as the Taliban.

The army found that the assembly of the bombs had also significantly improved, and that they contained substances which had not been used before in such devices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Among the substances discovered in the bombs was tungsten, a metal that can improve the ability of the devices to penetrate armored vehicles.

The IDF has consulted with representatives from the U.S. and British Army on the matter. A comparison of the devices deployed in the Palestinian territories and in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed similar methods of assembly.

"It is clear to us that these explosive devices came from the same school," a senior Ground Forces Command officer said.

The IDF believes that explosives experts who entered Gaza from Egypt through smuggling tunnels are responsible for the development of the bombs.

Since Israel's 3-week winter offensive against Hamas in Gaza, code-named Operation Cast Lead, most attempted attacks on Israel have been carried out by the Islamic Jihad militant group, as well as other organizations inspired by Al-Qaida.

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  • 5. 0 0
    # 2 eras
    • Axel
    • 25.10.09
    • 19:05

    "Tracing their sources for tungsten The most obvious source is unexploded IDF ordnance ...

  • 4. 0 0
    Another question
    • Brent
    • 25.10.09
    • 16:27

    Who is helping Israel to aquire her deadly weapons? Hint: The intials are U.S.A.

  • 3. 0 0
    Beware of Intel Propaganda Plants
    • Joe
    • 25.10.09
    • 16:17

    Not one IDF vehicle has been destroyed. Where were these bombs last Christmas? Is tis only a propanganda black intel story to form a link in people's mind's between the Taliban and the Palestinian resistance to Israelin occupation?

  • 2. 0 0
    Internet?
    • eras
    • 25.10.09
    • 15:59

    For bombs like these to be made, you don't need any help or instructors anymore. Information and manuals on bombmaking are available in the Jihadi forums for several years now. Now all you need for those bombs to be made is a bunch of nutcases and Internet-access. Both is widely available on the other side of the fence... Tracing their sources for tungsten may be an approach to block the supplies. It is not extremely rare (though 25-30$ per kilo are not cheap either), but possible suppliers in this region are only a few companies.

  • 1. 0 0
    No, its the Iranians
    • James
    • 25.10.09
    • 14:13

    They're training both the Taliban which in turn are attacking Pakistani and American forces in Afganistan and Pakistan, and training Hamas. Hence they both make similar types of explosives for they had the same teacher.