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JERUSALEM, October 16, 2012 (WAFA) – Around half a dozen Jewish fanatics attempted Tuesday to force their way into al-Aqsa Mosque building in Jerusalem but were stopped by mosque guards, according to Muslim officials.

They said a group of right wing fanatics who were taking a regular tour of al-Aqsa yards attempted to enter the structure housing the mosque, which is normally closed to non Muslims.

The guards at the gate along with Muslim worshippers in the area stopped them before they were able to get inside the building and Israeli police accompanying the fanatics took them away to prevent an outbreak of clashes.

Israeli fanatics had recently intensified their provocative tours of the yards of al-Aqsa compound, one of Islam’s holiest sites, in an attempt to turn it into a Jewish temple.

Tourists and Israelis are allowed to tour the yards but not to go inside al-Aqsa Mosque building or the Dome of the Rock, which together make al-Haram al-Sharif, or the holy sanctuary, in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Officials have warned that any attempt to change the character of the mosque could draw violent reaction from Muslims.

M.S.