Three Palestinians were killed and another wounded Sunday afternoon in a shoot-out with Israeli special forces in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, in the West Bank.
The incident occurred when a special unit spotted four men wanted as terrorists by the security forces, who asked the men to stop.
According to military sources, the armed men shot at the troops, who returned fire, killing the three and lightly injuring the fourth. None of the soldiers was hurt.
The Israeli Defense Force said one of the men killed was the group’s leader, Na’im Laham, 25, suspected of a number of cases of shooting army patrols and Israeli vehicles in the Nablus area in the last year. He was carrying a carbine rifle and a false identity card.
The other two were identified as Hajaj Ibrahim Hajaj, 19, and Imad Bashrak, 21, from the village of Tammun in the Samaria region of the West Bank.
The injured man was not identified.
Following the clash, the army clamped a curfew on the camp and began searches. During the searches, a homemade hand grenade was thrown at the troops, who returned fire. No one was hurt in that exchange.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
