Israel warns Israelis abroad of Hezbollah kidnap plans

Aug 20, 2008, 14:49 GMT

Jerusalem - The Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group plans to kidnap Israelis travelling abroad, Israel's National Security Council warned Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, the council urged Israelis abroad to be wary of 'unusual events,' to turn down unexpected tempting business or entertainment offers and to avoid letting suspicious persons or unknown visitors into their hotel rooms or apartments.

The council also urged Israeli travellers not to linger in remote locations, especially after dark, to attend business meetings and recreations activities accompanied by reliable companions, and to avoid exhibiting a regular and predictable pattern of behaviour.

The statement named no specific country as the focus of the possible attempts but classified the threat as 'high' and 'concrete.'

Israeli security officials had earlier this month warned Israelis living and working in West Africa that Hezbollah intended carrying out kidnappings to avenge the death of Imad Mughniyeh, the group's operations head who was assassinated in February this year, in a car bomb which Hezbollah blamed on Israel.

In October 2000 Hezbollah kidnapped an Israeli businessman who had been lured abroad. He was returned to Israel in January 2004, along with the bodies of three Israelis soldiers also snatched by Hezbollah, in exchange for 30 Arab prisoners.