Palestinians foil attack on Al-Aqsa worshipers

Palestinian security guards have foiled a Jewish gunman's attempt to infiltrate the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Palestinian official reports.

Hatim Abdulqader, who is in charge of the Jerusalem Al-Quds portfolio in the Fatah movement told Arab News that the Palestinian guards succeeded in stopping the gunman as he went up the stairs of a building adjacent to the mosque on Sunday.

The man, who had strapped a machine gun on his back, is believed to have been trying to massacre worshipers in the mosque compound, the report said.

Abdulqader added that Palestinian security forces are working round the clock to foil any Israeli attack against the mosque.

The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage has declared that the man was handed over to the Israeli police, who later claimed that he was mad.

Adnan Al-Husseini, the governor of Jerusalem Al-Quds, said the plot “could not be carried out by a mad man.” He accused rightist Jewish movements of planning the incident.