Israeli troops stationed along the Gaza border thwarted an infiltration attempt by terrorists early Thursday morning, eliminating three gunmen in the process.
According to the IDF, the soldiers spotted several terrorists approaching the border fence in the southern Gaza town of Rafah around 4 a.m., trying to cross the fence and infiltrate into Israel, who then opened fire at the troops.
The soldiers returned fire, and were soon joined by an armed drone that tracked the cell and struck them, eliminating three. A fourth terrorist was then killed by Israeli tank fire, the military said.
Israeli officials expressed concern that one additional terrorist may have managed to escape back into Gaza during the intense exchange of fire.
The incident sparked anger among reserve duty units and residents of nearby towns, who protested they were not immediately updated about the infiltration attempt as it unfolded. However, the IDF said the incident was quickly contained, negating any need for wider alerts.
No troops were injured in the incident. The IDF is still investigating the incident and searching for the suspected fifth terrorist.
