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3 terrorists killed, bomb lab destroyed in IDF raid

Local terror groups opened fire on troops, triggering a gun battle. No IDF soldiers were wounded in the exchange of fire.

By World Israel News Staff

Three operatives from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade terror group were killed and an explosives manufacturing site was destroyed in an IDF raid in Nablus (Shechem) that culminated in a firefight between Israeli soldiers and armed terrorists.

Security blogger Abu Ali Express reported that Palestinian media had named the killed terrorists as Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade Commander Fathi Rizk, 30, Abdullah Abu Hamdan, 24, and Muhammad Zaytoun, 32.

An additional five men affiliated with the terror group, all from the Awed family, were also detained by troops.

The raid took place in the early hours of Monday morning, with Israeli security forces entering the Balata neighborhood on the outskirts of Nablus with the intention of arresting several wanted men who had attacked IDF outposts in recent days.

Upon their arrival, local terror groups opened fire on troops, triggering a gun battle. No IDF soldiers were wounded in the exchange of fire.

An IDF spokesman said that in addition to capturing the wanted men, troops “confiscated three M-16 rifles, ammunition, military equipment and weapon parts.” They also discovered an “explosives-manufacturing site containing dozens of kilograms of explosives designated for carrying out attacks.”

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The bomb laboratory was destroyed by the IDF, the spokesman added.

In a separate overnight operation, troops entered the terror hotbed of Jenin and arrested three terror suspects. During the arrest process, locals pelted soldiers with Molotov cocktails and other improvised explosive devices, as well as rocks.

The IDF responded by opening fire. The army said that “hits” among the rioters were detected, but did not specify whether any had been killed or seriously wounded.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised security forces and the operation on his Twitter account on Monday morning.

“In two successful operations carried out by the security forces overnight in Jenin and Nablus, terrorists who opened fire on our forces were eliminated and those planning terror attacks against Israeli citizens were arrested,” tweeted Gallant.

“We will hunt down and reach our enemies.”