Israel’s security forces eliminated an Islamist terror cell planning to attack Israeli civilians. Thursday morning, at least nine wanted operatives of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group were killed in an Israeli counter-terrorism raid in the West Bank town of Jenin.
Israeli military sources describe the terrorist squad as a “ticking time bomb” which was close to unleashing deadly attacks inside Israel. “Israeli security forces “dismantled a ticking time bomb” in Thursday morning’s raid on a terrorist cell planning to carry out an attack on a civilian target in Israel, a senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer said,” the Israel TV channel i24news reported. ”
Besides taking heavy fire from the PIJ gunmen, Israeli soldiers entering Jenin were apparently ambushed by the Palestinian Police. “One of the Palestinian gunmen killed in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) raid in Jenin belonged to the Palestinian Civil Police Force, an official body tasked with cooperating with the Israeli military in counterterrorism efforts in the West Bank,” the TV channel added.
The Israeli raid comes amid a surge in Palestinian bombings and terror attacks. In late November, Jerusalem was rocked by two blats during the early morning rush hour. A 16-year-old boy was killed, and 20 others were injured by bombs planted by a Palestinian terrorist cell.
The slain terrorists had Israeli blood on their hands. In a joint statement obtained by Legal Insurrection, the Israeli military (IDF), the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), and Border Police disclosed that the “Islamic Jihad terror operatives were heavily involved in executing and planning multiple major terror attacks, including shooting attacks on IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians.”
The Jerusalem Post reported the details of the Israeli raid:
As many as nine Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp on Thursday were killed in an extended battle with the IDF which was trying to thwart planned terror attacks as well as to capture at least three known Islamic Jihad terrorists.The operation was a joint one involving the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the IDF and the police.The IDF said that when it approached the residence where the three terrorists were known to be hiding out, two of them started running out of the residence while armed and were killed by IDF forces.A third wanted terrorist willingly surrendered himself to be arrested, while a fourth armed Palestinian there attempted to engage Israeli security forces and was also killed.IDF anti-explosive experts entered the residence and safely exploded two bombs that the terrorists had in their possession.The IDF said that the three wanted terrorists had already participated in multiple attacks and were planning even more substantial attacks.
Gaza-based Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups pledged to avenge their fellow Islamists eliminated in the latest Israeli counter-terrorism operation. The Times of Israel reported:
Islamic Jihad spokesman Tariq Salmi vows that “the resistance is everywhere and ready and willing for the next confrontation,” after nine Palestinians, including several terrorists linked to the group, were killed during an IDF raid in Jenin earlier today. (…)Saleh al-Arouri, deputy leader of Hamas, vows that Israel “will pay the price for the Jenin massacre.”“Our resistance will not break, and our response will come soon.”
Israel’s Arab and Muslim neighbors came to the defense of jihadi terrorists in distress. “Both Egypt and Turkey lob criticism at Israel after a deadly IDF raid in Jenin that killed nine Palestinians, most of whom are believed to be members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group,” The Times of Israel noted in a separate report.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY