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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Friday that three terrorists were killed and another 60 suspects arrested during counterterrorism operations carried out across the West Bank over the past week.
According to a military statement, the operations were concentrated in the Menashe and Gush Etzion areas, targeting cells suspected of planning attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
One of the incidents occurred in the town of Al-Yamun, west of Jenin, where an armed terrorist threw an explosive device at Israeli troops. The attacker was immediately neutralized by return fire from the forces.
In a separate confrontation, the IDF’s Binyamin Brigade killed two additional terrorists after they threw Molotov cocktails at a civilian street, posing an immediate threat to nearby residents.
Military sources said that dozens of arrests were made during overnight raids in several Palestinian villages. Many of those detained were under suspicion of being involved in plots to carry out bombings or attacks using improvised explosive devices.
The IDF reported that its units conducted more than 80 search and arrest operations around the Palestinian town of Beit Ummar. The operations led to the seizure of various weapons and explosive materials that had been hidden in residential areas.
Meanwhile, the Yehuda Brigade discovered and confiscated several explosive devices in the town of Beita, southeast of Nablus. The brigade worked jointly with the Ephraim Brigade to locate additional arms caches in Hebron and Kalkilya, including an M16 assault rifle.
The Binyamin Brigade later found three more M16 rifles in the village of Kafr ‘Aqab, while the Etzion Brigade seized two pistols in Bethlehem. The IDF said all confiscated weapons were transferred for forensic examination and intelligence analysis.
The army added that the coordinated operations were part of its ongoing effort to dismantle militant networks and prevent future attacks. “Our forces continue to act decisively in every sector to safeguard Israeli civilians and maintain regional security,” the IDF statement read.
Tensions remain high across the West Bank amid increasing clashes between Israeli forces and armed groups, particularly around Jenin and Nablus — areas known as flashpoints of militant activity.
Security analysts say the recent uptick in operations underscores Israel’s determination to suppress armed groups attempting to destabilize the region. The IDF emphasized that such actions will continue as long as terrorist threats persist in the area.