Israelis hunt terrorists in West Bank towns

Israeli troops and tanks moved into the West Bank towns of Nablus and Jenin early today, searching for Palestinian terrorists in the wake of a devastating suicide bombing Tuesday, police and Palestinian officials said.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas ordered the arrests of suspects directly involved in the Hamas bombing that killed 20 people, as a meeting early today by top Palestinian leaders to determine a response to the bloodshed erupted in yelling.

Shots rang out in Jenin after some 20 tanks, personnel carriers and other vehicles entered, witnesses said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties in either town. A curfew was imposed in central Nablus after more than 30 vehicles, mostly trucks and a few tanks, entered the town.

Troops were carrying out searches for bomb laboratories and wanted Palestinians, the Associated Press reported, quoting an Israeli military source who spoke on condition of anonymity. No arrests were made in the latest raids, though on Wednesday night six wanted Palestinians were arrested in the area of Jenin, the source said.

On Wednesday night, Israeli troops shot and killed one Palestinian 16-year-old and wounded at least five others in the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem, Palestinian witnesses said. An Israeli military source said the troops came under fire while seeking to arrest wanted Palestinians and fired back. Palestinian witnesses, however, said the teenager was unarmed. The troops later left.

The Israeli moves came after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on approved a series of pinpointed military strikes. Yasser Arafat's headquarters are in Ramallah but Israeli security officials indicated the compound would not be targeted, as it was in previous raids.

Five Americans were among those killed in Tuesday's attack on a Jerusalem bus, the U.S. Embassy said. The bus bombing Tuesday was the deadliest attack since President Bush unveiled his "road map" peace plan in May, and the tragedy was magnified by the fact that six children, ranging in age from 3 months to 15 years, were among the dead.

Secretary of State Colin Powell called Abbas and told him he expected "immediate measures to stop the deterioration," said Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr. It was not clear whether Powell issued an ultimatum.

Abbas, Arafat and other top Palestinians met into the early hours today to discuss how best to respond to the attack. Participants said the talks were tense and erupted in yelling.

A statement issued after the meeting in Ramallah included pledges of moving ahead with commitments under the peace plan, which calls for the Palestinians to dismantle violent groups. The declaration spelled out few specifics but said the Palestinian Authority was committed to the "control of weapons" and would ban all public demonstrations by violent groups.

Amr said Wednesday that Abbas ordered the detention of terrorists directly linked to the attack, but would not clamp down on their groups without Arafat's backing.

The AP, quoting unnamed participants in the closed-door talks between Arafat, Cabinet ministers and PLO officials, reported that Abbas suggested strong action, such as freezing violent groups' bank accounts and outlawing the military wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

However, Palestinian officials said Arafat was concerned that an overly tough crackdown could spark civil war.

Arafat continues to control several of the security branches. He has repeatedly criticized Abbas, saying his agreements with Israel amount to very little.

Palestinian security forces ordered the owners of three satellite uplink facilities to prevent Palestinian Islamic Jihad or Hamas from giving media interviews, the AP reported, quoting an unnamed Palestinian security source.

Abbas' security chief, Mohammed Dahlan, arrived at the Cabinet meeting with a bulletproof vest under his blazer, the first time he was seen wearing such protection. It appeared to be an indication of growing tensions among Palestinians.

Abbas until now has shied away from confrontation with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fearing it will spark violence between Palestinians. Instead he has tried to persuade them to halt attacks on Israelis. His decision on whether to change course could determine the fate of the "road map" plan.

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