Israeli forces Thursday morning arrested several suspected accomplices of Palestinian terrorists who shot and killed their commander in a shootout adjacent to the West Bank security barrier the day before.
Soldiers from the IDF's elite Nahal reconnaissance unit entered the Palestinian village of Kafr Dan northwest of the city of Jenin and arrested several individuals suspected to have aided cousins Ahmed and Abdul Rahman Abed to obtain the weapons used in the attack near the Jalamah crossing that killed Nahal Deputy Commander Maj. Bar Falah.
The homes of the two, who were also killed in the fire exchange, were mapped out for demolition.
Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinians during the raid, in which one Palestinian was killed. He was later identified as 17-year-old Udai Salah.
Palestinians threw stones and explosives at the forces who responded with riot control measures. There were no casualties reported on the Israeli side.
Several weapons were seized during the raid, including a Carl Gustaf submachine gun and several magazines.
Meanwhile, Palestinians also clashed with Israeli forces overnight at two other locations throughout the West Bank during arrests of terror suspects. Two Palestinians were moderately wounded while another sustained mild injuries, according to Palestinian reports.
Israeli forces will remain on high alert throughout the West Bank in the coming days for fear that Wednesday's shooting would inspire copycats to carry out similar attacks.
Israeli security officials have lambasted the Palestinian Authority for failing to crack down on terrorists targeting Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The Palestinian administration is believed to have lost its grip over large swathes of territory under its control, like the cities of Jenin and Nablus which have become a hotbed for terrorist activity.
One of the gunmen who killed Maj. Falah was a member of the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus, which Prime Minister Yair Lapid described as a "step up" in the escalation between Israel and the Palestinians in recent months.