Two Palestinian militants, exiled as part of the deal to end the Israeli siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, were named in Dublin tonight, hours after reaching Ireland in a high-security operation.
The pair were among 13 men being admitted to EU states under terms that permitted the lifting of the 37-day-long church stand-off.
They were met at Dublin airport at around mid-day by gardaí and taken to a secret destination. They will not be allowed to leave the State, but can stay for as long as a year and their families will also be let in if requests are made by the men.
Although officially unidentified, RTÉ tonight quoted Palestinian sources in the West Bank and named the men as Mr Jihad Jaara (31) and Mr Rami al-Kamel (22) both from near Bethlehem. Both men are said to be members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction.
One of them is understood to be a senior member of the group. According to the Israelis, Mr Jaara is alleged to have been involved in planning a number of recent suicide attacks and shootings in which several people died.
Palestinian sources said only that the pair were leaders of the resistance against Israeli occupation. Tonight it was thought they were being kept in either a secure guest house or a small hotel.
But for security reasons, the Department of Justice, were saying nothing about the day's top-secret operation.
PA