IDF confirms it killed armed gunman at Gaza border

Soldiers spot man digging near security fence, fire at him; investigation reveals Gazan had AK-47 rifle.

By YONI DAYAN
Explosive devices planted near Gaza security fence 370 (photo credit: IDF Spokesperson)
Explosive devices planted near Gaza security fence 370
(photo credit: IDF Spokesperson)
The IDF confirmed Sunday that it shot and killed an armed gunman in Gaza late Saturday night.
According to a statement released by the IDF Spokesman’s Office, soldiers identified a man digging adjacent to the security fence along the Gaza Strip and shot at him, confirming a hit.
Following an investigation conducted Sunday morning, the soldiers discovered an AK- 47 rifle near the gunman’s remains, but did not find an explosive device in the area.
The IDF also stated that during the past week, soldiers uncovered three explosive devices adjacent to the security fence in the Gaza Strip. All three devices were safely diffused.
The IDF stated that such incidents are “proof of how terror organizations use the area adjacent to the security fence in the Gaza Strip to plant explosive devices and execute terror attacks and kidnapping attempts against IDF soldiers, thereby endangering the citizens of Israel and the security forces operating in the area.”
The Gaza-Israel border has been largely quiet since an escalation last month, during which Palestinian terrorists fired approximately 300 rockets into Israel while the IDF killed 25 Gazans, mostly terrorists. Despite the relative calm, Palestinian groups have continued firing rockets sporadically into southern Israel.
During Land Day protests last Friday, IDF soldiers killed 20-year-old Gazan Adham Abu Salmiya after he approached the security fence, ignoring warnings by the IDF. Emergency services in Gaza also reported that IDF forces had injured 37 Gazans – three of them seriously – after they too approached the border fence. The IDF stated that only 29 had been injured in the incidents.