Recruits were asked to gather intelligence for future terror attacks.
Iran has tried to recruit a wide network of agents in Israel via social networking sites, IsraelтАЩs Shin Bet internal security agency announced on Wednesday.
The joint Shin Bet, Israel Police, IDF operation foiled the network which aimed to recruit individuals in Israel and the West Bank тАЬfor the benefit of Irainian intelligence,тАЭ the Shin Bet said in a statement.
The sources were asked to gather information on military bases, sensitive security installations, personnel, police stations, hospitals, and more as part of preparing targets for terrorist attacks in Israel by Iran.
According to the agency, while the network was directed by Iran it operated from Syria and was led by an individual known as Abu-Jihad who tried to recruit people by initiating contact from fictitious Facebook profiles and then speaking with the target through messaging applications.
As of April 2019, a broad counter-terror operation was implemented against recruits in Israel and the West Bank in which a number of Israeli citizens were involved, after intelligence indicated that they had been contacted and recruited by Iranian handlers.
During the investigations, intelligence showed that the recruits had transferred information to their handlers in Syria and had stated their intention to carry out terror attacks against Israeli targets, both civilian and military.
https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Shin-Bet-foils-Iranian-spy-network-in-Israel-596660
