Since the operation began two weeks ago Israeli troops have arrested and killed suspected militants, seized hundreds of weapons and uncovered dozens of bomb-making factories.

The past week's violence began Sunday with an explosion that killed 10 people at what the police said was a bomb-making factory.

In 1983 O'Hanlon was jailed after being found in a bomb-making factory.

Two men are charged with explosives offences after the discovery of an alleged dissident bomb-making factory near Dundalk on 22 May.

They have seized hundreds of weapons and uncovered dozens of bomb-making factories and retrieved explosive belts meant to be worn by suicide bombers.

Operation Autumn Leaves uncovered a large quantity of guns, ammunition, Semtex explosive and a bomb-making factory.

Israeli forces also discovered a bomb-making factory in the West Bank city of Nablus during an overnight operation that ended Saturday, an army spokesman said.

The bomb-making factories and disassembly plants would be scaled back but not eliminated, and would do more specialized work at the scientists' direction.

On February 9, 2008, he was part of a 40-strong group tasked with searching a Taliban compound, which was suspected of being a bomb-making factory.

The new emphasis on attacking the insurgent cells and bomb-making factories outside the capital is expected to be a sustained one, involving tough fighting.