IDF forces conducting a counterterrorism operation in the Jenin area of the West Bank on Sunday came under fire during a raid in Ya'bad, a village adjacent to the city, where Diaa Hamarsheh, a terrorist who killed five Israelis in a shooting attack on March 29, lived. The troops were able to complete their mission of mapping out his home prior to demolition, the military said.
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No injuries were reported among the Israeli troops during the clash. The Palestinians reported that one man was wounded in the gunfight.
Palestinian sources reported that Israeli security forces entered the eastern part of Jenin in the early hours of the morning. A clash erupted in the area almost immediately, and the IDF arrested several terror suspects.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav told Army Radio that Israeli troops "operated in the village of Ya'bad, in Jenin, and in northern Samaria in general. We stop, thwart, gather intelligence, and focus the counterterrorism operations in the area from which the terrorists hail.
"We operate on every level, be it defensive or offensive, and be it in Israel or deep in Samaria, Syria, Lebanon, and do whatever it takes," he continued. "There is no limit. We operate during the day, everywhere, to thwart terrorism and restore the public's sense of safety."
Saturday saw Israeli troops raid the hometown of Ra'ad Hazem, a Palestinian from Jenin who killed three Israelis in a Tel Aviv shooting spree on April 7. The raid sparked a gunbattle in the are, during which one Palestinian terrorist was killed.
The raid was the latest in a series of events that have escalated tensions during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Clashes and protests in Jerusalem last year helped spark an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Jenin is a know terror hotspot, where the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad has massive presence.
Troops operating in the city raided Hazem's home to map out the area ahead of razing it. Israel often demolishes the homes of Palestinian terrorists as means of deterrence.
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