Two armed Palestinian terror suspects were killed Sunday evening and another wanted Palestinian was lightly wounded in the West Bank city of Bethlehem during a Border Guard operation.
Defense establishment officials said that the three were involved in planning terror attacks in Israel and firing at the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa.
Following intelligence information on wanted Tanzim members, a special Border Guard unit entered Bethlehem in an attempt to arrest them. The terror suspects were riding in a vehicle which tried to escape, and one of the gunmen opened fire at the police officers.
The force fired back, killing on of the Palestinians and wounding the other two. The injured Palestinians were evacuated to an Israeli hospital for medical treatment. One of them died at the hospital, while the other one, a senior wanted terror suspect, sustained light wounds.
'Resistance is Palestinians' only opposition'
Abu Udai, a senior member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the West Bank, told Ynet that one of the killed Palestinians, 27-year-old Ahmad Musleh, was among the group's heroes, but that he was not a senior member as Israel was trying to describe him.
"Israel is glorifying the brave shahid's (martyr's) status in a bid to justify its crime. Musleh's blood will not be in vain and we will continue to pursue the enemy wherever it is," he said.
Abu Udai added that the Bethlehem operation proves that there is no peace partner on the Israeli side and that all the talks about reaching a dialogue with the Israelis are futile.
"The resistance must be the Palestinian people's only opposition in the face of the occupation and its crimes," he said.
Ali Waked contributed to the report
First published: 19:59, 04.23.6