Nablus street (archive)
Photo: AP
A number of IDF troops were wounded during an operation in Nablus Thursday which exposed a large explosives laboratory.
Israeli army forces entered Nablus Wednesday to operate against terrorist infrastructure and locate illegal weapons caches. The large-scale operation was launched after intelligence information indicated that terrorists in the city were planning a number of attacks in Israeli territory.
Three prepared explosive devices, each weighing roughly five kilograms, were found in the laboratory, along with numerous weapons, magazines and materials used to manufacture bombs.
West Bank Raids
Efrat Weiss
Palestinians hurl four explosive devices at force entering West Bank city to carry out arrests. One officer, two soldiers moderately hurt; three sustain light wounds
Wednesday afternoon soldiers discovered another weapons cache containing a pipe bomb, a Kalashnikov rifle, a hand gun and two grenades. At another location in Nablus troops found an M-16 rifle and a telescopic sight. The weapons were confiscated and the grenades were detonated in controlled explosions.
Thus far eight Fatah-affiliated suspects have been arrested in the frame of the operation.
Clashes erupt
During the operation, a Palestinian attacked soldiers with a Molotov cocktail. Troops opened fire towards the attacker's lower body in response and identified hitting him.
In a separate incident a Palestinian gunmen fired shots towards IDF troops. Soldiers found a Kalashnikov rifle after searching the area for the perpetrator.
Several soldiers were injured during clashes with Palestinians in the area earlier Wednesday. An IDF officer was severely injured, three soldiers were moderately hurt and another three sustained light wounds as Palestinians hurled four explosive devices at a force operating in Nablus.
An officer who was moderately injured in one of the explosions was evacuated via helicopter to the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, where his condition deteriorated and is now defined serious. Another three soldiers are hospitalized there, after being injured by shrapnel.
Moran Zelikovich contributed to the report