PA: Terrorist murderer of 9 people is a “heroic fighter who fought a holy war for the sake of Allah under the auspices of Fatah”
Excerpt of an op-ed by Issa Abd Al-Hafiz, regular columnist for the official PA daily
Headline: “Martyr fighter Marwan Kayed Mutlaq Zalum”
“Martyr fighter Marwan Kayed Mutlaq Abd Al-Karim Zalum ‘Abu Saja’ (i.e., terrorist, involved in murder of at least 9) was born in Hebron in 1960 to one of the famous Hebron families…
He left for Jordan, and from there for Lebanon where he joined the Fatah Movement and was one of its fighters…
He returned to the homeland mere months before the outbreak of the blessed Al-Aqsa Intifada (i.e., PA terror campaign 2000-2005, more than 1,100 Israelis murdered), and received an appointment in the Palestinian [PA] Security Forces like his comrades who preceded him.
After the outbreak of the blessed intifada, Marwan Zalum established military squads in Hebron (the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades) [parentheses in source] (i.e., Fatah’s military wing), and he was the commander of these brigades. Marwan Zalum was responsible for many shooting operations on outposts and self-sacrificing operations that were carried out by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the most prominent of which was the operation of female Martyrdom-seeker Andalib Takatka (i.e., suicide bomber, murdered 6 and wounded over 80).
Marwan Zalum ‘Abu Saja’ became wanted by the Israeli occupation forces… and on the night of April 22, 2002, at around 11:40 p.m., an Israeli Apache helicopter fired three missiles at a civilian vehicle in the heart of Hebron… in which Martyr Marwan Zalum and his comrade Samir Tamimi ‘Abu Rajab’ were riding…
The missiles struck the vehicle directly, and tore the two Martyrs’ bodies into hundreds of pieces…
Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades commander in Hebron Marwan Zalum and Samir Tamimi, one of the commanders of the [PA Presidential Security] Force 17 in the city, died as Martyrs in the cowardly assassination operation…
A number of attempts to assassinate him or arrest him failed in the past, but this time the traitors placed him in the trap of the Israeli helicopters, which killed him mercilessly with missiles. After the assassination, the Martyrs’ comrades took revenge on these collaborators. Three people who were said to be collaborators were arrested, and afterwards they killed them and tossed their bodies at the site where the vehicle was bombed.
Heroic Martyr Marwan Kayed Zalum ‘Abu Saja’ is a fighter who fought a holy war for the sake of Allah under the auspices of Fatah…
Heroic Martyr Marwan Kayed Zalum was endowed with courage and strength. He was firm in his positions, …had lofty morals, and was a prominent commander with a strong personality – an example of courage and heroism who sacrificed everything. He knew the end of every Jihad fighter is Martyrdom-death, which he wished for throughout the long struggle… for the sake of the people and the cause…
Marwan Zalum, you placed Palestine before your eyes, you carried your soul in your palm, and you merited Martyrdom. Despite your passing, you live in the hearts of those who love you…
He was always at the front of the struggle against the Zionist enemy.”