Four Kassam launchers found in Gaza; West Bank: IDF raids charity organizations supporting Hamas.
By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFFjp.services1(photo credit: )
Golani and engineering corps soldiers discovered and destroyed four Kassam launchers in northern Gaza on Wednesday, while operations against terror continued in the West Bank.
In Nablus, IDF troops cracked down on five Dawa charity organizations, confiscating documents and multimedia materials, as part of ongoing action against Hamas-linked groups.
Dawa organizations have been outlawed for supporting terror groups.
Earlier Wednesday, three IDF soldiers were wounded, one moderately, after an explosive device went off near their jeep in the Casbah in Nablus.
The troops, from the Paratroopers Brigade, were given preliminary treatment on the scene before being evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. An exchange of gunfire ensued between the troops and several Palestinian gunmen. The military jeep sustained heavy damages in the explosion.
The aim of the operation was to uncover an explosives laboratory in the Balata refugee camp after the IDF received intelligence from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Services) that such a laboratory was being concealed in the area. Soldiers went from house to house to locate the laboratory and successfully discovered it before they were attacked by the armed Palestinians.
Both ready-to-use explosives, as well as chemicals for preparation were found in the stash. A bag containing pieces of scrap metal which could be used for bomb shrapnel was also found. The laboratory's contents were detonated in a controlled manner by border guard troops. According to Channel 2, the laboratory was run by several terror groups simultaneously.
Two operatives from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were arrested during the incident. Troops also raided six Hamas installations during which computers and documents were confiscated.
In a separate incident, Palestinians threw an explosive device at troops operating in Kabatiya, south of Jenin. No casualties were reported. Soldiers returned fire at the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, the IDF spokesperson said 14 terror suspects were arrested in the West Bank and transferred to security interrogations overnight Tuesday.
Three suspects were caught in Kfar Ra'ai, located southwest of Jenin. Six fugitives were arrested in the Hebron area, three in the Bethlehem area, and the remaining two were caught in Nablus and the Jilzon refugee camp.