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An international arrest warrant issued for a terrorist convicted in the 2001 suicide bombing at Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem that killed 15 people has been dropped, according to Arab media sources.
The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, appears to have abandoned its pursuit of Ahlam Tamimi, who orchestrated the bombing at the popular pizzeria.
In a March 8 letter published in the Arabic-language media, the international law enforcement body said Ahlam Tamimi was no longer "subject to Interpol notice," but did not provide further details.
She also appears to have been removed from the agency's most-wanted list.
For her role in the attack, Tamimi was sentenced to 16 life terms, but was released eight years later as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, and has lived in Jordan since her release.
Of the 15 people killed in the attack, seven were children and one was an expectant mother. Another 130 people were wounded.
Tamimi’s husband, a convicted Palestinian murderer who was deported from Jordan last year and now resides in Qatar, later confirmed the cancellation of the Interpol notice on social media.
“After a legal battle that lasted for a year and a half, the defense for freed prisoner Ahlam Al-Tamimi achieved the erasure of the red notice issued against her by the Interpol,” Nizar Tamimi wrote on Facebook.
“Our struggle will continue until her file is completely closed, and we will meet after our prolonged separation and enjoy the free, stable life for which we have yearned,” he added.
Ahlam Tamimi drove the suicide bomber, Izz al-Din Shuheil al-Masri, to the restaurant in Jerusalem after having scouted out the location.
Al-Masri, who was in possession of an explosive device packed with nails, nuts and bolts, detonated the bomb when the restaurant was at peak occupancy.
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Security forced at the scene of the 2001 suicide bombing at Sbarro pizzeria
(Photo: Getty Images)
After her release from prison, Tamimi became a television star in Jordan and symbol of the struggle against Israel.
In an interview with Hamas, Tamimi said, "It was a calculated act conducted with conviction and faith in Allah. A Jihad warrior is always ready for martyrdom, imprisonment or to succeed in the mission. I succeeded in overcoming prison and I was released—why should I be regretful?"
Reprinted courtesy of i24NEWS