One IDF soldier has been moderately wounded in an joint arrest operation with the Shin Bet General Security Service carried out late Monday night in the Palestinian Arab city of Jenin, in Samaria.
Israeli security forces were attacked by Palestinian Arab terrorists who opened fire as the soldiers began their operation in the city. The wounded IDF soldier was rushed to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.
At least five members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization were killed in the firefight, Arab media reported. This has not been confirmed by Israeli sources.
It is believed that one of the targets may have been a regional commander of Islamic Jihad in Samaria (Shomron), but that has not been confirmed.
One shootout reportedly took place at the home of senior PIJ leader Bassem Sa’adi, possibly the target of the arrest operation. Sa’adi is a convicted felon who was released from an Israeli prison in 2011.
IDF forces also surrounded the home of the Abu al-Hija family, suspected of linkages to the Judea and Samaria branch of the military wing of Hamas. Reportedly one arrest was made there at the Abu al-Hija home, according to local sources quoted by the Hebrew-language Ynet site.
There has been no comment from the IDF Spokesperson thus far.
More information to follow.