In Major Operation, IDF Destroys Shechem Weapons Factory, 5 Terrorists Killed, 20 Injured
IDF and Shin Bet forces and Border Police officers overnight Monday carried out a rare ground operation in Shechem against the Lion’s Den terror organization, which has been responsible for numerous terror attacks against Israel in recent weeks • Full Story, Photos
In a midnight operation in the city of Shechem, the IDF destroyed a weapons factory which belonged to the Lion’s Den terror cell. The cell had been actively perpetrating terror attacks against Israeli military and civilian targets in the last few weeks.
Palestinian sources reported five people dead and over 20 injured in clashes which broke out with the IDF during the course of the operation. There are no known casualties to the IDF in the operation. One of the dead is 31-year-old Wadee al-Houh, a leader and founding member of the Lion’s Den terror group.
“A joint force of IDF soldiers, Shin Bet security service agents and anti-terror forces raided a hideaway in the old city of Shechem that was being used as a bomb workshop by central members of Lion’s Den,” the IDF said in a statement released following the raid.
“The bomb workshop was blown up by our forces,” the military said.
The army said soldiers opened fire on a number of terrorists during the course of the operation, citing Palestinian reports of casualties. It said soldiers also returned fire when shot at during rioting in the city. The IDF said that Palestinians had burned tires and thrown stones at troops during the operation.
“During operations, dozens of Palestinians burned tires and threw stones at troops,” the army said.
Elsewhere in Judea and Samaria, violence broke out in Jenin and in Nabi Salah near Neve Tzuf and a Palestinian terrorist was killed.
The terrorist who perpetrated the 2017 attack in Neve Tzuf, murdering three civilians, hailed from Nabi Salah, a village with numerous terrorist elements.
Prime Minister Yair Laid hailed the IDF for eliminating the Lion’s Den leader.
“The terrorist Wadee al-Houh was killed in the exchange of fire,” Lapid said on Israel Radio, adding that “Israel will never be deterred from acting for its security. Part of this squad are people who hurt Ido Baruch, and the moment they hurt us, IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians, they should know it will end badly,” he added, referring to a soldier killed in a shooting attack near Shechem last month.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz in a Tuesday morning Twitter post said “there aren’t and won’t be sanctuary cities for terrorists.”
“We will continue to act against anyone who tries to harm the citizens of Israel, wherever and whenever necessary,” he added.
The IDF also reported that Palestinian terrorists opened fire at the Salem crossing in northern Samaria early Tuesday. The checkpoint and adjacent base has been the target of numerous shooting attacks in recent weeks, leading Gantz to order it shut.
The IDF said troops returned fire and later arrested one of the terrorists at their home in the town of Rummanah.
Two other wanted Palestinians were detained in overnight raids in other areas of the West Bank.
On Sunday another senior member of the Lion’s Den group, Tamer al-Kilani, was killed in the Old City of Shechem by an “explosion” attributed by the group and the Israeli press to a bomb remotely activated by the Israeli army. The military has not commented publicly on the claims.
(Via VIS)
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