The Israeli Air Force struck six terrorists on Wednesday morning after they apparently emerged from an underground tunnel route in eastern Rafah and were identified by IDF surveillance teams, the military said.
According to the IDF, the terrorists were hit immediately after they were spotted while trying to flee. The army said it detected hits, but it was not yet clear whether all six were killed or only some of them. Troops are continuing searches in the area. The military said that as forces keep locating and clearing tunnels in Rafah, they are finding more terrorists and working to eliminate them.
Footage of terrorists emerging from a Rafah tunnel last week
(Video: IDF)
On Tuesday, the IDF reported that five additional terrorists who had been hiding in tunnels in Rafah were killed. The military said they had been “trapped” in the area following the ceasefire along the Israeli side of the so-called yellow line, and that pressure in eastern Rafah is continuing.
In a statement, the army said combat teams from the Nahal Brigade are still operating in eastern Rafah. During searches earlier in the day, forces identified five armed terrorists and killed them. The IDF said they were likely terrorists who had emerged from an underground route in the area.
The military also released photos of weapons recovered from the terrorists after the strike, including Kalashnikov rifles and numerous magazines.
The IDF said that last Saturday, 17 terrorists in Rafah tunnels were killed or arrested after trying to escape from tunnels in the area beyond the yellow line in the eastern part of the city. Later that day, forces identified an armed suspect who approached an outpost in southern Gaza, opened fire and was killed.
During additional searches, troops spotted three more terrorists who had apparently emerged from a tunnel shaft and killed them. Surveillance units later identified two additional terrorists who also appeared to have exited the shaft, and they were killed as well.