Two Palestinian Militants Killed in West Bank Clashes With Israeli Forces

Two Palestinian militants were killed overnight Thursday in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces near Jenin's refugee camp during an operation that led to the arrest of three terror suspects, the IDF Spokesperson reported.

Medical officials in Jenin say that the fatalities are 26-year-old Mohammed Asaadi, one of the commanders of the Jenin Brigade which is associated with Islamic Jihad, and 27-year-old Nayyim Zubeidi, the cousin of long-term Palestinian detainee Zakaria Zubeidi. The two men have previously served time in Israeli prisons and were viewed by the Israeli security forces as wanted terror suspects.

The Jenin Brigade is an affiliation of armed militants from various different organizations in Jenin, much like the Lion’s Den group in Nablus. The group reported heavy exchanges of fire with the IDF in one of the city’s quarters. According to the report, several military vehicles were damaged in the fighting. Ata Abu Ramila, one of the leaders of Fatah in the Jenin refugee camp, announced that there would be a mourning strike in the city to mark the deaths.

On Wednesday, 26-year-old Mohammad Tawfiq Badarna, was reportedly killed as the IDF was encircling the home of a former Palestinian prisoner, Abed el-Anni Harzallah, demanding that he turn himself in, which he did. During the event, clashes reportedly broke out, resulting in Badarna being shot and critically wounded. He was evacuated to hospital in Jenin and soon died.