Palestinian terrorists killed an IDF soldier on Tuesday. The shooting took place near the Jewish settlement of Shavei Shomron located between Nablus and Jenin, Palestinian towns which have seen a half-year of intense terrorist activity.
Announcing the soldier's death, a military spokesman said searches were underway for the terrorists,, who escaped in a car. The "Den of Lions", a group from Nablus with loose factional affiliations, claimed responsibility in a statement.
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A bullet hit the soldier in the shoulder. He was taken to the closest hospital and was later pronounced dead.
According to the reports, the attack was carried out from a passing car. The terrorists' vehicle fled in the direction of the Palestinian town of Deir Sharaf in the Nablus governorate.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria regional council, criticized Israel's government for the deteriorating security situation in the area.
"We have been begging for more than a month shouting warning 'close the checkpoints, collect the weapons, stop the incitement, take military action against the Palestinian Authority that is fueling a wave of terror here,'" he said.
Dagan urged the government "to come to its senses" and to stop "abandoning the lives of the citizens of the State of Israel as well as the soldiers."
Earlier on Monday, Israeli security forces conducted an overnight raid across the West Bank arresting ten suspects involved in terrorist activities and confiscating weapons. The raid was carried out as part of the ongoing Operation Breakwater.
i24NEWS contributed to this report
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