Hebron: IDF foils stabbing attempt

Palestinian armed with knife dies after soldiers open fire; no troops hurt.

By BYBY JPOST.COM STAFF
Published: FEBRUARY 13, 2010 03:25
IDF Hebron great 248.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
IDF Hebron great 248.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
A Palestinian man who tried to stab an IDF soldier on Friday afternoon died on the way to an Israeli hospital, the army said in a statement. Soldiers opened fire on the man after he weilded a knife and lunged at a soldier who was on patrol near a mosque in Hebron.
No soldiers were wounded in the incident, which took place as soldiers were scouring the area for Palestinian who hurled rocks at Jewish houses in the West Bank city.
The 41-year-old Palestinian man's family in Hebron confirmed that he had died, but denied that he attempted to attack a soldier.
The incident came two days after a Palestinian Authority police officerstabbed an IDF soldier to death while he was sitting in a jeep stoppedat a traffic light at the Tapuah junction, also in the West Bank.
Earlierin the day, on Friday morning, IDF soldiers from the Golani Brigadeopened fire on four armed Palestinians who were apparently trying toplant an explosives device along the Gaza border fence.
The army confirmed that the terrorists were hit by the mortar and rifle fire, though no IDF soldiers were hurt in the incident.
Alsoin the Hebron area, IDF soldiers arrested a Palestinian terror suspectin an operation overnight Thursday. The detainee was transferred forinterrogation.
AP contributed to this report.