Last update - 00:00 21/01/2008
IDF officer lightly wounded, militant killed in Tul Karm raid
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
An Israel Defense Forces officer was lightly wounded and a Palestinian gunman killed on Monday during an exchange of fire in an IDF operation in the West Bank City of Tul Karm targeting wanted militants.
The wounded officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nir Baron, is the regiment commander of the IDF's Nachshon unit.
The troops, led by Baron, entered a Tul Karm house to find the militant, Murad Al-Bassa, when they came under short-range fire.
Baron was lightly wounded in his hand from grenade shrapnel when fired upon. He then returned fire, killing Al-Bassa.
Baron was later taken to a hospital in Kfar Sava for further medical treatment.
In a separate operation on Monday, IDF troops uncovered a stockpile of weapons in a house in Abu Dis, just outside Jerusalem. Troops found Kalashnikov and M-16 rifles, along with pipe bombs and ammunition cartridges.
In total, six militants were arrested in the West Bank during IDF operations overnight Sunday.
Over weekend, an Israel Air Force strike on Saturday in Gaza killed two militants.
Also over the weekend, IDF troops backed by tanks and bulldozers entered Gaza and searched homes in the Jabalya refugee camp.
After a prolonged gunfight with Hamas militants, IDF troops captured four of them and took them to Israel for questioning.
Related articles: