One day after the targeted killing of five Lion’ Den terrorists in their safe house in the Kasbah of Shechem, which stirred up enormous resistance and resulted in 18 injured Arab terrorists, overnight Wednesday, Israeli security forces showed up once again to carry out arrests and, according to an IDF report, the mission was almost a walk in the park.
All the arrests hardly caused any friction, never mind exchanges of fire with local gunmen, and the 18 suspects for the most part surrendered quietly. It should also be noted that Wednesday’s massive show of power on the part of the IDF less than 24 hours after the Shechem clashes signaled Israel’s determination to keep after the Lions’ Den members until every last one of them is reached – dead or alive.
Security sources said on Tuesday that they detected a sense of exasperation in the PA’s civilian population, who have no interest in gunfights, lockdowns, and the consequent economic suffering. At this point, the IDF maintains numerous roadblocks throughout Judea and Samaria, to defend against any potential terrorist attack – and has no discernable plan to let down its guard.
The IDF forces included commando units of the Judea and Samaria division. Eighteen wanted persons were arrested, three of them associated with the Lions’ Den group. In Shechem, the IDF forces raided buildings, and gunshots were heard in the area.
Among the wanted Lion’s Den members who were arrested in Shechem overnight Wednesday were Mohammed Nabulsi, whose brother, the terrorist Ibrahim Nabulsi, was killed in August; another wanted person suspected of involvement in a shooting attack in Hawara in September in which an Israeli vehicle was damaged by shots from a passing vehicle; and a third suspect who was arrested for weapons possession.
Four wanted terror suspects were arrested in the village of Bidu in the Binyamin region. IDF fighters were met with stone-throwing and used dispersal means.
In Jaba’ village in the Menashe area, security forces interrogated more than 30 suspects of involvement in terrorism and arrested three wanted persons. Three other wanted persons were arrested in Azzun village.
