JERUSALEM (VINnews) — During the course of an anti-terrorist operation in Tulkarm, Samaria early Thursday morning, five undercover soldiers were injured. One of the soldiers is in critical condition and doctors at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba are trying to save his life. Two others are in serious condition and the others were lightly to moderately injured. The soldiers were evacuated to four regional hospitals.
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The incident occurred as IDF forces were conducting an arrest operation for a wanted man in Tulkarm, situated near the pre-67 border with Israel. During the operation, there were exchanges of fire between IDF forces and the terrorists, and explosive devices were used against the forces. Toward morning, the forces left the city and, according to the IDF spokesman, the exchanges of fire continued as they were leaving. During the exchanges, the soldiers were injured, apparently by a grenade which fell near them. Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli forces left ammunition behind as they raced to evacuate the wounded soldiers.
A short time later, terrorists opened fire from a vehicle toward the settlement of Avnei Hefetz in Samaria. There were no casualties. An IDF force from a Golani patrol chased the car, and during the arrest attempt there was an exchange of gunfire and two of the terrorists were killed. There were no casualties among the soldiers.
During the night, hundreds of Jewish worshipers entered Joseph’s Tomb under heavy IDF security, while at the same time dozens of Palestinians rioted and burned tires on the spot. Later, explosive devices were used against the forces that secured the entrance of the 40 buses to the compound, and an IDF soldier was slightly injured.
Additionally, near the village of Azzun in the northern West Bank, terrorists threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli bus, which was not damaged. Two suspects were arrested. IDF forces also broke up clashes between settlers and Palestinians near Maale Levon in the Binyamin area, after Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehicles. In another case yesterday, the IDF blocked the Huwara highway for Palestinians for three hours following incidents of stone throwing at Israeli vehicles on the road.
About two weeks ago, in another raid at the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm, two terrorists who threw explosives at the forces were killed and an IDF soldier was moderately injured by shrapnel. The forces then uncovered dozens of explosive devices buried in the ground and seized dozens of other weapons hidden in warehouses.
The forces also uncovered raw materials for the production of large and deadly explosive devices and a military vehicle with cameras and monitors, which were destroyed. The security forces also found surveillance equipment and computers as well as dozens of ready-to-use explosives and explosives connected to gas cylinders.