Israeli security forces killed three Palestinian terrorists near Nablus on Tuesday after a several-week manhunt.
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The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed three Palestinians had been killed in the incident. A Palestinian source said the men belonged to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group, but this was later denied. Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said the three men were members of their group, which is loosely linked to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group. The Shin Bet security service described the men as a "terrorist squad" that had carried out shooting attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians in the area over the past few weeks.
The Shin Bet security agency says the three were in a vehicle and were killed in a clash with security forces. No Israelis were killed or wounded in the shooting, it said.
Recent weeks have seen a number of stabbing and shooting attacks by Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. An Israeli settler was killed in a drive-by shooting in December. Settlers have also carried out a number of attacks recently against Palestinians and Israeli activists, causing injuries and property damage but no fatalities.
On Saturday, several terrorists opened fire on Israeli troops patrolling in Samaria on Saturday afternoon. The IDF said the incident was a drive-by shooting.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Israeli forces had shown that "terrorists have no immunity". He added, "Whoever harms us, will be hit."
A video seen by Reuters showed paramedics carrying the bloodied men on stretchers into an ambulance near a car riddled with bullets, as people gathered around them.
"Israel is responsible for this criminal assassination. It is part of their ongoing crimes," Monir Al-Jaghoub, a Fatah spokesperson in the West Bank, said.
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